We'll Blow Them All Away
by wordstomyears
Summary: What happens when the children of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson fall in love? No one knows quite for sure what's in store for these pair of young lovers, but the one thing for sure is that their fathers will never get along.
1. Time Wastes

**A/N: So I decided to write this based on a couple of tumblr posts, so a shout out to alexdanderhamphilton who put the idea into my head of making a story where Jefferson and Hamilton have to endure their kids falling in love and macaroon22 who's beautiful art inspired most of the Jefferson family feels you are about to read ahead in this chapter.**

 **I am warning you now, this first chapter is very angsty because it follows the death of Thomas Jefferson's wife, Martha. Most of my time writing included researching this. Some historical fun facts that I included was the fact that Martha asked him to promise her that he wouldn't remarry and Thomas never did. He also fainted when his wife died, so badly that they were afraid he wasn't going to wake up. He also fainted at the sight of seeing his kids as well. Also Martha was known to be a very musical and kind lady, who had a temper like nobody's business. Just a few facts for your lovely readers.**

 **And final note, the first two chapters of this story will be more of a prologue and setting stuff up. Jefferson also had a daughter around Philip's age, but she was four years older than him and married by the time he was eighteen. But when researching it I actually found out that Jefferson had a daughter born the same year as Phillip, sadly though she died when she was a toddler because of whooping cough (which is absolutely horrible i had it and was never the same). Though I decided since this will be pretty AU from what actually happened, why not have her not die of whooping cough and grow up and fall in love with Philip? Why not? This is fanfiction, after all.**

 **That's all I wanted to explain. Also I dedicate this to Daveed, a beautiful human who left the Hamilton cast less than a week ago. Okay, I'll stop now. Just enjoy this mess of feels.**

* * *

 _ **Spring 1782**_

In the middle of the night, it seemed all of the Monticello household was on edge.

Two little girls stood quietly outside a bedroom, knowing if they made a sound they would be caught and receive a scolding for being up so late. But neither of the girls could help it, being woken up by their mother going into labour caused quite a stir. Both girls had been waiting for this for months, eagerly having debates on the gender of their new sibling to be.

Their father shifted, having stayed in the room the entire time, shaking in the corner from nerves. Thomas couldn't help but worry for his wife, knowing that she had been in delicate health for some weeks prior to the birth. He couldn't help but flinch every time she screamed in agony as the midwife encouraged her to push. Despite going through this many times before, nothing would calm him down as his heels clicked across the floor as he paced, creating an annoying tapping sound that irritated his wife.

"THOMAS, I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T STOP PACING I WILL HALT THIS LABOUR RIGHT NOW AND COME OVER THERE AND HIT YOU!" Martha yelled sharply at her husband, causing the man to pause in utter surprise. He wasn't aware his pacing was annoying her so, but her demand was more than even to make him stop in his tracks completely. Thomas knew better than anyone not to challenge her temper.

Martha resorted back into her aggravated screams as the midwife made the announcement that it would all soon be over. Suddenly the entire household was filled with an even more shrill and high-pitched cry. The midwife smiled as she brought the crying child into the world, looking to the mother who let out of a huff and fell back on the bed.

Another moment was not wasted as Thomas moved to his wife's side. She turned her head towards him slowly, her face covered in sweat. Any anger she presented to him a few moments ago were washed away when she met his gaze. "You did so well, my love." The man leaned in to whisper, earning a weak smile from Martha. He reached and took her pale hand, squeezing gently. The husband and wife turned both their heads to the midwife who was settling the newborn into the world.

She looked up at the couple, who looked up at her tentatively as if they were new parents. She smirked gently, knowing that was far from true but noting that it was a nice sight to see. The midwife looked back down at she wrapped the baby in a blanket, who was an undoubtably small thing who looked up at her with wide eyes. "Time to meet your parents." She told the child with a soft smile, standing up and walking to the couple. "Mr. and Mrs. Jefferson, meet your new baby girl."

After the midwife's introduction, she placed the child in Martha's arms. Thomas almost looked jealous. His wife already knew he truly was but was trying his best to hide it. She knew he couldn't wait to get his hands on something he created, especially his child. But the mother delighted in holding her youngest daughter in her arms, her fingers gently brushing over the tiny hands of the infant.

"Hello Lucy Elizabeth," Martha adjusted the infant in her arms, grinning as her daughter wrapped her entire hand around her index finger. "Lucy Elizabeth? As in-" Thomas cut himself off when he noticed Martha's face had changed drastically. The woman had been a wreck after the death of their last child, a girl of the same name. Martha was too familiar with the loss of children, having a son from her previous marriage that had passed. But in their years together, Thomas and her had both suffered the loss of three.

Martha brought a smile onto her face as she tried to remain hopeful. "She'll make it. I know it." Martha whispered, more to herself than to her husband. Thomas pressed a kiss to his wife's temple, moving onto the bed as he wrapped an arm around her. His eyes went down to their youngest in her arms and he nodded his head softly. "Lucy Elizabeth, second of her name." He commented, smiling along with his wife.

The midwife was washing her hands as the door to the room was suddenly thrown opened by an overexcited four year old. Mary Jefferson, more affectionately known by her nickname Polly, wasn't even tall enough to reach the handle and was thus accompanied by her older sister Martha, named after her mother.

Polly was a spinning image of her mother, sharing her fair complexion and long black hair. Martha took after her father in looks with a crazy head of dark curls that she contained by pinning it away from her face, in a puff of curls that collected around her head just below her chin. Their personalities couldn't vary more from each other, as the young four year old bounced with excitement at the sight of their new sister, and the nine year old immediately caught on to the glare their parents gave them.

" _Girls_ ," Martha began, using a tone her eldest daughter would never forget,"it's one in morning. What are you doing still awake?" The mother scolded them. The younger Martha was quick to look apologetic, but Polly was a different story however, as she completely ignored her mother and ran to her father's side.

"You said her name was Lucy Elizabeth, does this mean I have a little sister? I'm not the youngest anymore?" Polly seemed too overjoyed over that fact, and Thomas was quick to indulge his daughter, bringing her into his lap. Polly giggled as he brought her closer to the baby.

Both parents were shocked when Polly was rendered speechless at the sight of Lucy Elizabeth. The four year old was a giggly ball of energy a few seconds ago, and now she was quiet as her older sister was.

"She's so tiny... like a bean... she's a bean. My bean." Polly finally whispered, reaching out to touch her sister just as Thomas lifted her off of his lap. He set Polly back onto her feet, sending her over to his eldest daughter. "To bed. Both of you." He ordered.

For the first time since she entered the room, Martha finally decided to speak up. "But that's not fair, Polly got to see her-" The nine year old protested, earning a raised hand from her father to quiet her. The girl immediately crossed her arms, looking down to her sister with a fierce glare. "Nice going. You couldn't have kept your hands to yourself, could you?" She scolded as Polly shrugged her shoulders innocently as she skipped out of the bedroom.

Martha looked back to her mother with a small pout, and her mother finally relented. Thomas found himself being pushed away gently by his wife. He stopped and watched Martha swinging her legs over the side of the bed as she held her newborn in her arms. She stood up slowly, taking a few steps towards her eldest daughter.

Just as Martha took another step, a wave of dizziness washed over her. The mother collapsed onto her knees, clutching her baby to her chest in fear she might drop her or hurt her as she went down.

"Martha!" Thomas cried out, running to her side along with the midwife. The midwife took the child away from the woman, who had now began to sweat once again. Thomas helped his wife up, his eyes going to his daughter who stared with great concern for her mother. "Martha, go to bed." He demanded, yet his voice was too soft to appear stern.

The young girl stood in shock as she watched her mother, a dread falling over her as she couldn't help of thinking of other times when her mother was weak like this before. "Papa-" "Martha, go to bed!" Thomas yelled, noticing he had started to shake again as he led his wife back to the bed to lay down.

As soon as she was laying down, she met Thomas's eyes with a frown and reached to touch his cheek. "Do not yell at our daughter, Thomas." She warned him, her tone soft as she dropped her hand. Thomas laid Martha on her side, looking back to his nine year old. "I'm sorry." The man apologized quickly as looked at her.

She didn't appear like she had accepted her father's apology however, and turned and left the room without another word. The midwife stared at his wife, holding his daughter in his arms with an uneasy look in her eyes. Thomas quickly moved to her, taking her aside. "Will she be alright?" He asked her, his voice filled with fear.

The midwife didn't say anything at first, she just held out his daughter, handing over the baby to Thomas. "I don't know what to tell you, Mr. Jefferson, other then if she doesn't recover soon I suggest calling a doctor. All you can do now is take your daughter and leave Mrs. Jefferson to rest." She instructed and Thomas looked down at his daughter who was now peacefully asleep in his arms.

He nodded his head gently, moving to the door to take her to the nursery. The man paused, turning back to look at his wife. Martha was still awake, watching him with soft eyes. She smiled as he looked at her, and his heart swelled with grief to think of a world where Martha wasn't in it.

* * *

 _ **Autumn 1782**_

A few months had passed since Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson had entered the world, and Martha was still bedridden. Thomas would often enter her bedroom, in hopes of finding her miraculously in good health again. But sadly as he passed the door to the bedroom, the best he could get from her was occasionally reading a book or writing something down on a piece of paper.

This day wasn't any different, as he passed by the room. The door was closed, and he often took that as a sign she didn't want to see him. Thomas didn't understand why. When the doctor delivered the terrible news to him, he only wanted to spend as much time as he could with his wife before her time came. But Martha kept him at an arm's length, maybe more than that, often telling him to look after their children.

For someone who considered himself so smart, he was blind to see what she was truly doing. He couldn't see Martha was preparing him to be in a world without her.

He made his way downstairs, surprised when a familiar sound filled the house. Piano playing. The man immediately smiled at the thought, rushing down the stairs and practically sprinted to the music room. When he opened the doors however, Thomas found the Martha he expected to be playing was not his wife but his daughter. Although he couldn't hide his disappointment as his daughter turned to look at him, he tried his best.

"Sorry I interrupted your playing, I just thought-" "That I was Mother?" Her voice sounded so small as she cut him off. He nodded his head a little to answer her.

Martha nodded her head back at him, looking back at the piano keys. "I miss her playing too. I thought if I played... it would make it better." Martha explained, pursing her lips and lowering her head. "I miss your music too, Papa." The little girl admitted. She sounded so defeated as she confessed, and Thomas couldn't help but make his way over to her.

He placed his hand gently on her shoulder,"I miss it too. Why don't you go back to playing and I'll play along with you?" Thomas offered. She smiled up at her father before nodding in agreement, turning back to continue playing. As her music began to fill the room, Thomas went over to the corner to where he left his violin case.

It seemed like ages had passed since he had opened the case, and when his eyes finally laid on the instrument he smiled at his old friend. Countless of times he spent with his wife playing this violin as she sat and watched, just enjoying his hobby. His favorite time however was when she accompanied him on the piano.

Thomas spent a few seconds tuning the instrument, before he finally dragged the bow across to produce a magnificent sound. Martha grinned from the piano seat, and her father soon joined in on her melody. The violin and piano were often perfectly paired instruments, and the two had no trouble in producing a great sound which filled the room.

As he decided to speed up, the nine year old could hardly keep up with him. She stumbled across some keys, earning a teasing chuckle from her father. Thomas began to play loudly, reminding him that he had almost forgot how fun it was. His tempo didn't seem to slow down, much to his daughter's displeasure.

However she remained determined to keep up with him, and soon caught up. The lively music came to a climax as Thomas hit higher notes, and Martha took his cue as she began to bash out some chords she knew to carry them towards the end. The chaos of their music finally came to a grand ending as Martha finished her last chord, and Thomas dragged out a vibrating note on his violin.

The two met each other's eyes with enormous grins on both of their faces, and their little performance was met with some clapping much to their surprise.

In the doorway, stood the older Martha leaning on the frame. She was fully dressed, wearing one of her favorite dresses. The yellow dress Thomas had often compared to sunshine, which is why he purchased it for her. He smiled fondly when he remembered her reaction. It was probably the only time she had genuinely praised his taste in fashion.

"You're up." He put his violin and bow back in their case without another thought as he went over to her. Thomas didn't waste a moment before kissing her, surprised at how hot her skin felt underneath his finger tips as he cupped her face.

When he pulled away and met her eyes, the man suddenly figured out the reason why she was so hot. "You're feverish, Martha." He pointed out, and she nodded her head. His wife knew she couldn't deny it, despite getting dressed and even putting together her hair, she still looked quite ill.

She ran a hand down his magenta sleeve, reaching his hand and gently wrapping her delicate fingers around his palm. "One good day. One last normal day. It's all I ask, Thomas. I just wanted to see our Lucy, but then I heard you two playing." She explained, looking past her husband to her daughter. "Martha, that was beautiful." She complimented her daughter.

The nine year old smiled up at her, oblivious to her mother's true nature in that moment. She was convinced that out of bed meant that her health must've gotten better.

Thomas nodded his head at his wife, knowing he couldn't deny her anything at this point. Martha smiled, letting go of him, and moving towards the direction of the nursery. Before she left however, she looked back at him. "Play with your daughter." She instructed firmly, narrowly her eyes into a playful glare at her husband.

Soon it was replaced with a smirk as Thomas proceeded to stick his tongue out at his wife. "You're no better than Polly." She rolled her eyes, finally turning and walking down the hall. Thomas turned back to his daughter with a smile on his face, not realizing that being with his wife had truly relieved him of any worry he carried for her.

"You heard your mother. Play!" He exclaimed with a chuckle as his daughter nodded her head and began up again, this time playing a different melody.

* * *

Thomas and Martha had been playing for nearly an hour when they heard the crash. It was loud, almost like something had shattered.

He didn't waste any time as he quickly put away his instrument once again. Martha stared at her father with worry,"Papa, do you think that could've been-" "Martha, stay here. Okay? Please stay here." He ordered his daughter as he rushed out of the room.

Nothing could prepare him for what he found when he threw open the door to the nursery. His wife laid painfully still on the ground as their infant daughter cried in her crib. Thomas fell onto his knees, turning his wife over and pulling her into his arms. He brushed her black hair aside, his eyes noticing the broken glass on the floor from the lamp that must've fallen over.

Martha was dangerously pale, and the man couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. His mind fell into panic to think that this would be the moment where she would die. But the woman soon stirred, fluttering her eyes open and slowly adjusting to sight of her scared husband.

"Thomas..." "Shh, you don't need to speak. All that matters now is that you're okay– that you're alive." He quieted her, his voice quivering as he stroked her cheek softly with the back of his palm. The couple was soon reminded of their crying infant as Lucy let out a loud wail, and Thomas helped his wife up. Martha leaned against the crib weakly, reaching in and shushing her daughter quietly.

A tear slipped down her cheek as she stared at her young daughter, and Martha looked over at him. "My mother died when I was just six days old. I never knew her. I know our Lucy is a little further along than that, but..." She trailed off as her eyes burned with more tears. Thomas placed his hand on her back, but it didn't make her feel any better.

"Promise me you won't remarry." Her voice was a whisper when she finally said it. "I know it's a lot to ask but I'm not doing it because of you. I mean in no way to stop you from ever loving again. I grew up never getting along with my step-mothers. I don't want that for our girls. I couldn't stand another mother raising my children. Maybe this is wrong of me to ask but-" She was cut off by her husband pulling into a hug.

She decided not to argue with it, and just embrace Thomas back. They stayed quiet for a few minutes, holding each other as if it were the last time. And truly, it could've been. Thomas finally pulled away, meeting her eyes. "It's not too much to ask." He answered. "I promise you. I will never remarry."

Hearing him promise her brought more tears to her eyes, and Martha cried softly as Thomas gently wiped her tears with both of his thumbs. "I'm sorry I have to leave you, my love. Ten years is not enough." She said gently, and he nodded his head in agreement. "No amount of time on Earth with you could've ever been enough. I wished for forever, but wishes don't always come true, do they?" He frowned as the words left his lips.

"You're wrong. They do." She whispered, leaning in. Thomas furrowed his brows as her response, and Martha simply smiled weakly. "I was able to meet you. I got the chance to love you, and to have you love me back." When she finished, a tear trailed down her husband's cheek as he pulled her into a kiss.

Outside the nursery, a nine year old stood against the wall. Martha couldn't contain her tears as she clutched her hands close to her chest. She had long suspected it, but never could truly imagine her mother was dying. She heard movement towards the door and quickly ran to hide around the corner.

She watched her father take her mother slowly back to her room. Martha stayed silent until they were out of her sight, and the girl quietly moved into the nursery.

The girl paused at the sight of her baby sister in her crib. Martha looked down, making sure to carefully step over the broken glass as she leaned against the crib. She watched the young infant inside, who had now settled back into sleep.

"Martha?" She almost jumped at the voice, whipping her head around to find her five year old sister at the door. Polly was usually the one to have a goofy smile on her face, but the sadness in the young girl's eyes only matched Martha's. The older girl held out her hand,"Watch the glass." She reminded as her sister made her way to her side.

Both of them went to stare down at Lucy, who was oblivious to the nature of all the commotion in Monticello. Martha wrapped an arm around her younger sister, and Polly rested her head on Martha's shoulder. "This is Mama's last gift to us, Polly. We have to protect her no matter what, okay? We can't lose her." She said softly.

Polly nodded her head a little, sniffling as she looked up at her sister. Martha frowned sadly to see the younger girl cry. "Why does Mama have to leave us?" Polly asked, her voice cracking. At first, her sister didn't know how to answer her, but finally decided to respond.

"I don't know why. Some things are just unimaginable."

* * *

Less than a week had passed before Martha's death. Thomas didn't leave her room during the last couple of days, staying by her bedside and often sharing conversations with her where he did most of the talking. She was content to hear him talk though, and never lost a smile no matter how weak she felt. The couple did their best to ignore the obvious, thinking it could be pushed off if they acted like it wasn't coming.

"Thomas." Martha began weakly, reaching for her husband who slept peacefully in a chair by her bed. The man shifted slightly, not fully waking up until he peeked his eyes open a little to see Martha staring at him. He jumped up in his chair, slapping his cheeks lightly to wake himself.

He looked around, rubbing his eyes a little. "What time is it?" He asked quietly, looking to his wife. "Sunrise, most likely. I'm thirsty, will you get me some water?" She asked him, and by the sound of her voice he did not doubt she was terribly dehydrated.

The man stood up, pausing as he went to the door, looking back to her. "You didn't sleep at all, did you?" He questioned. Martha pursed her lips, knowing it was more a rhetorical question. She knew how she must've looked by now, in no better shape than she was when she gave birth.

Her hair was never dry, instead it was always damp with her feverish sweats. Her skin was white as a sheet, and looking down at her hands she knew she must've already looked like a corpse. Martha frowned as she leaned her head back against her pillow.

"Just hurry back, okay?" She said, trying not to sound too demanding. Thomas smirked to think her temper wouldn't even leave her during this state. "Martha?" Thomas spoke gently, smiling fondly at her as he looked at her. "Yes, Thomas?" She asked hoarsely, still a little annoyed.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

With that, Thomas took off towards the kitchen. Normally he wouldn't enter this particular room of the house, as the man was too used to his slaves serving him. It took a few minutes to actually find the pantry with the cups, and when he did he frowned at the sight of tea cups.

He couldn't ignore her demand however and instead of looking for the right cup, he just grabbed a tea cup. Thomas chose one from the top, probably one of their finest ones. A white tea cup that was painted beautiful with tiny blue and pink roses. He found it would definitely be something to cheer her up, or at least something she could tease him about.

As soon as he filled the tea cup with water, he made his way back upstairs to the bedroom. He found Martha laying on her side, back facing towards him. Thomas smiled,"Don't tell me you've fallen asleep after I so graciously prepared a cup of water for you." He said, surprised when he didn't hear an annoyed response from the woman.

Something must've been wrong, but instead of listening to his first thoughts Thomas moved around the bed to the other side of her.

"Martha?" His voice cracked when he saw her face. She was still in a way someone sleeping could be, all her features were relaxed and she even showed a small hint of a smile. But a sleeping person breathed, and Thomas couldn't see her chest rising up and down.

She was just _so_ still.

The tea cup dropped from his hands, splashing water all over the floor and breaking the cup in two much like the man's heart at the moment. "Somebody help!" He yelled, unable to move from where he was standing. His sister was the first to answer his cry, bursting through the door in her nightgown.

Martha Carr was Thomas's younger sister, a woman who had lost her husband, who had been a close friend of his, years ago. She often stayed at Monticello, getting along merrily with his wife of the same name. She had been looking after the girls all week while he locked himself away with his wife. Martha stared at her sister-in-law's still body and her mind immediately went to the worst.

"I'm calling the doctor." She decided, turning away to leave. His hand flew up, the most he had been able to move since he had found his wife like this. "No! Please... don't leave me in here." He begged.

It was the first time his sister had realized that since she had entered the room, he hadn't moved an inch. Martha quickly understood and walked carefully around the room. She took his arm, and began to slowly direct him out of the room.

He was painfully quiet as she led him down the hallway. Sometimes he would stop and she would practically have to drag him. It was hard for to look at her brother, so Martha kept her face forward. She knew if she looked back, she would only find him in tears.

She got him to his library, knowing it was one of his favorite rooms in the house. Martha thought her brother would recover in this room if anything. She opened the door, leading him inside slowly. The woman caught a glimpse of his face, and it hurt her heart to see he was now a mess.

"Papa?" The voice of Thomas's eldest daughter appeared outside the door of the library. Both brother and sister turned around to see the nine year old girl rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Martha looked up at her aunt and father, her eyes slowly coming into realization when she saw her father's face.

Thomas let out a loud sob that he had been holding back and fell onto his knees. He toppled over on the floor of the library, and his sister looked down at him in shock to realize he had fainted. "Thomas!" She yelled, falling down onto her knees next to her brother's side.

* * *

Three weeks had passed since the funeral, and all was quiet in the house. No children laughed or cried, not even Lucy who was just a baby.

Martha's ten birthday passed and no one celebrated it. Her aunt had prepared her a lovely breakfast though, even wishing her a happy birthday. Polly also presented Martha with a drawing of their baby sister which looked much more like a bean than anything. But the one person she wanted on her birthday was her father, but he remained locked in his room.

A few days since her birthday passed, and the ten year old stood outside the door to her father's room silently. Often she thought of coming in here, but could never find the courage. Thomas couldn't speak at the funeral, so Martha took it upon herself to speak in front of her family about a woman they all loved so dearly.

She convinced herself that if she could speak to them, she could speak to him. Martha pushed gently against the door to his room. Her eyes settled on the man who was hunched over on the floor. Thomas held his wife's music book, running his fingertips over the cover.

"Papa." Her voice surprised Thomas, who hadn't noticed that the door had been opened. Martha walked over to him, kneeling down and letting her black dress pool around her knees. It was sad to look at him, still dressed in the same black suit he wore for the funeral. "Papa, it's been three weeks since Mother's funeral and you haven't left your room once."

He didn't need her to point out the obvious, but as he looked up to catch a glimpse of the young girl's desperation he knew he had to appreciate it. She was trying. Thomas placed the music book on the floor, taking his daughter's hand.

Usually he found it so easy to state his opinion, but he couldn't seem to find the right words here. "What to say to you?" He wondered out loud, his voice cracking when exposed for the first time in weeks. Thomas looked up and met his daughter's eyes. "You have my eyes." The man commented, swallowing a lump in his throat. "You have your mother's name." Martha shed a tear as he added his last comment.

"I don't want her name. I don't want to be sad anymore. I don't want you to be sad anymore. I want to look at Polly and not cry because she looks like her. I want her back more than anything in the world-" She stopped as she let out a soft sob, and Thomas quickly pulled his daughter into his arms. He had been so wrecked with grief that he had forgotten that he wasn't the only one suffering.

"I want her back too." He whispered into his daughter's curly locks, gripping her waist tightly as he held her. Martha cried into his shoulder, letting out tears she felt like she had been holding back even since she heard of her mother's death.

The pair sat in their own sadness for a while. Neither one of them said a thing, and nothing needed to be said.

Finally, Thomas pulled away from the embrace. The man moved to wipe his tears, afraid that he had possibly been crying more than his daughter. He had to show her that he could recover from this, for her sake.

He couldn't raise three daughters like this, so if Thomas could start pretending he was strong maybe he could be in the long run.

"Why don't we go for a ride? Together?" Thomas suggested, and Martha was astonished at his response. Her father hadn't left his room in weeks for anything, but he wanted to go for a ride _with_ her.

Before he could change his mind, the ten year old nodded her head quickly. She helped her father onto his feet, and Thomas weakly took a few steps. He balanced himself only by placing both hands on her shoulders, and as Thomas looked up at his daughter he was met with a smile.

When they exited the bedroom, they were found by a slave who seemed in great surprise to see their master up. Thomas hadn't stirred so long it wasn't hard for his slaves to be convinced that their master would die of a broken heart.

"One step at a time, Papa." She encouraged as they moved past the slave who had stopped in their task of cleaning just to watch. Thomas looked down at the floor as he linked arms with his daughter. "Thank you." He mentioned quietly to the girl.

Much like before when he had anchored himself to his wife, Thomas would now find that in his eldest daughter.

They reached downstairs slowly, passing the dining room. Polly sat eating her lunch with her aunt as they both noticed Thomas walking by. Her aunt simply smiled gratefully, taking a small sip of her tea as Polly let out a loud gasp. Martha and Thomas didn't pay attention to them as they made their way to the front doors.

Sunlight hit his eyes immediately as Martha opened the doors. Thomas staggered back a bit, a little taken back from the world he hid from for so long. Despite it creeping into the middle of autumn, the sun still shined over Monticello.

The beautiful day only sunk his heart however, as he felt it more fitting for it to rain or snow in the absence of his wife.

"I'll go get the horses." Martha said, letting go of his arm. Thomas was about to protest to the girl about leaving him alone, but she had already turned the corner when he opened his mouth.

Instead of whining about it, Thomas took a few steps down the front stairs, and sat on the top one. He stared across his estate, frowning as he did so. Thomas was always so proud of his home, but his mind couldn't help but wander to a time when this place hardly existed.

He would've married Martha right away when he first met her. She was a recent widow with a young son, but still beautiful as ever. As materialistic as Thomas was, he was often in love with the idea of most women than who they actually were. With Martha it was different. Maybe it was because she wasn't always kind. That her good nature hid a fire he was drawn to. All he could do was think of how much he loved her, and how hard it had been for him since her passing.

Martha approached with her horse and his, interrupting his thoughts. He tried not to show how he had been feeling as he stood up. Thomas walked over slowly and took the reins of his horse. He looked to his daughter and forced a small smile.

"Let me help you up." He offered, taking her waist before the girl could disagree. Martha was lifted onto her saddle with a blush on her face, frowning down at her father. "Papa, I could've done it myself." She pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest.

This time, Thomas genuinely smiled. "I know. I just wanted an excuse to help you." He admitted, and his daughter rolled her eyes at him as he went to mount his own horse.

Once the two were both settled onto their horses, Thomas took off riding down a path he was quite fond of. Martha followed behind him, riding at a slower pace that her father. Things got quiet between them as they toured the estate, venturing deeper into the greenery surrounding Monticello.

Martha often looked to her father, still concerned with his well being. Even if he made a point to hide his sadness Thomas couldn't stop the fact it was still written in every feature of his being right now. Every part of him ached at the fact his wife was no longer with him, and the man desperately tried to contain his pain.

However, it was still his first day being out of his room. Thomas was too fragile, and his daughter should've seen it coming.

Without a word of warning, her father paused his horse by pulling harshly on the reins. Martha furrowed her brows in confusion as her father dismounted his horse quietly. She watched him as he took a few steps. The young girl opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by her father.

Thomas let out a violent scream. He felt like he was shouting into the void, the whole world and his daughter disappearing around him as he yelled. His body shook with grief and the man angrily kicked his feet at the dirt of the path. He was angry. Angry at a world where he no longer had his true love in it. He balled his fists into his wild hair, pulling apart at the curls. As the man roughly pulled apart at himself, his daughter let out a sob at the sight of her father being a victim to his own suffering.

Just as quick as his screams went, silence soon engulfed the two when Thomas finally calmed down. Nothing was said for awhile, instead the only thing that could be heard was a distant song of a bird who was content with their afternoon.

Finally, it was Martha who broke their silence.

"I get it now." The ten year old spoke, her voice cold as she stared at her hands. Her father was confused, taken aback when he realized that the world still existed and that his daughter was still with him. He took a few steps towards her, clearly apologetic when he realized she had to witness that.

When he made her way towards her, she shook her head, quickly dismissing his guilt.

"No... no it's okay. I get it now. Nothing's ever going to be the same now. Is it?" She asked a question, but her face showed no indication of wanting it to be answered. Still Thomas answered her anyways.

"No. It's never going to be the same. But I promise it's not always going to be like this." Thomas said weakly. His words didn't make his daughter look at him however.

Instead the girl gripped onto her reins tightly. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Papa." She said, pulling on the reins and rushing off on her horse further down the path. Thomas stared as he watched her disappear into the line of trees, and all he could do was stand numbly for a few moments.

* * *

Since leaving his room he had been desperately trying to get back into a normal routine, but he found the only thing that helped was taking a ride. He no longer took Martha with him though, instead resorting to being alone on his horse where no one had to deal with his sorrow.

He had finally mustered the courage to go through his wife's belongings, knowing that no matter how much he hated it he would have to get rid of certain things that he didn't have the room to keep around. Thomas knew exactly what he wanted to keep, knowing any book belonging to Martha would surely survive.

There was one book which was his top priority: her favorite book. Thomas couldn't find it at first, making the mistake of thinking it would be kept on a shelf. When he thought about it however, it suddenly hit him as the man looked back to the bed she spent her last moment on Earth on.

She spent most of her time in bed reading, or writing something down. Whenever she wasn't resting or asleep, he could always find her curled up with it. Thomas never took notice of what book because he thought his wife wanted to be left alone. He should've known better that it would've been her favorite.

His hands slipped underneath the pillow, and as sure as she had left it, there it was. His fingers traced themselves over the texture of the cover, his eyes scanning the title. Tristam Shandy, a book by Laurence Sterne. One he could always remember Martha having.

As he opened the book, a folded piece of paper fell from the pages onto the floor. That must've been it. All the times he had found her writing was that one piece of paper perfectly folded which now sat perfectly across from his toes. The man quickly snatched it up, unfolding the paper to release its contents.

The paper disappointed him, mostly because Thomas was expecting a letter written by his wife that would be quick to heal his broken heart. However, what was written on the paper was not from his wife, instead only in her hand. It was quote, from the very book it came from.

His disappointment would've continued if he hadn't realized what quote Martha had written.

 _Time wastes too fast: every letter_  
 _I trace tells me with what rapidity_  
 _life follows my pen. The days and hours_  
 _of it are flying over our headers like_  
 _clouds of windy day never to return-_  
 _more. Every thing presses on–_

Thomas was confused as he reached the end, and when he looked back to the book he realized that Martha never finished the quote. Months spent in bed, and all she had been doing was reading and trying to write this passage down and she never finished it. He couldn't help but think it was such a metaphor for life.

You spent all your life working towards finishing something, and your life could still end without ever reaching it.

What he planned to do next came with no hesitation. Thomas was quick to his office with the paper and the book between his hands. He didn't stop rushing until he had his quill between his fingers. He would finish this quote for her. This was something he could still do for her.

 _and every time I kiss thy hand to bid adieu, every absence which follows it, are preludes to that eternal separation which we are shortly to make!_

He stopped shaking when he finished the quote, and Thomas sat back in his chair as he let the ink dry.


	2. What'd I Miss

_**Summer 1984**_

Getting ready to leave for France made Thomas quite nervous. He was more than sure he could handle anything that the French government would throw at him, giving the fact he held his intelligence in such a high regard. The real reason he was so tense about leaving was because of his choice of travel companion.

His eldest daughter just wouldn't settle on the situation.

"Papa, all I am asking is for you to bring Polly and Lucy along with us to France. Is that so hard to ask?" Martha, now known more by her nickname Patsy, asked. He frowned at his daughter, knowing he never liked the name change but he had to agree to it. Having her mother's name had saddened her, and he wanted to keep her happy. He would do anything to keep her happy.

Except _this_.

" _Patsy_ ," Thomas began, still not liking the name on his lips. He kept reminded himself he had to respect her decision, noting it was her first grown up decision after all. "We've talked about this. Lucy is only two years old. Polly is nearly six. They're just too young to handle that kind of journey. They're not as mature as you are." The man justified his choice, but it didn't impress her.

Here Thomas was thinking that politicians were the hard ones to debate with, in reality none of them could ever be a match for the women in his life. Patsy was as relentless as his wife was.

The eleven year old crossed her arms over her chest, sending a glare towards her father. "Do you not love your other children as much as you love me, Papa? What would Mother think of this if she were still alive? She's probably rolling in her grave to think that you would leave her darling youngest daughters behind while you go off and enjoy the wonders of Europe with what? Your _favorite_? Mother would've never favored one of her children more than the other. She would know to love all of her daughters equally. How am I suppose to enjoy the delicious cuisine or beautiful scenery when I know my darling little sisters are stuck in Virginia with our mother's half sister?" Patsy got too dramatic for Thomas's taste, which was saying a lot.

As he groaned and stuffed his face in his hands, Patsy smirked when she realized that she was getting to him. She was almost ready to give up weeks ago and just do as her father told her, but watching the grown man finally crumble at her words was a lot better.

"Fine, you little pest! I'll send for Polly and Lucy! But only on one condition." He warned his daughter, pointing his finger at her. Patsy chuckled as her father played angry, but she could see that behind his forced stern look he was hiding a laugh at her previous dramatics.

Patsy nodded her head as fast as she possibly could, clasping her hands together. "Yes, Papa. Yes to anything. I would do anything." She promised him. Thomas smirked at her quick response, knowing she probably wouldn't like what he was going to ask of her.

But she had to agree to it now, after promising him such.

"You have to take care of them." Thomas finally said, and his daughter's face dropped immediately. Patsy cringed at the idea of the overexcited Polly and troublesome Lucy under her care. They would drive her insane if she had to care for them all the time. Both of them were alright to play with, but only for a few hours and then inevitably something ended up broken or someone's hair got pulled and Lucy turned into a crying mess.

Once she realized what her father was trying to do, she narrowed her eyes. "I'll take care of them, alright. Just you watch, Papa. You'll rue the day you ever underestimated Patsy Jefferson!" The eleven year old declared, thrusting her fist into the air as she left her father's temporary office. They had been staying in Philadelphia ever since the winter of '82 when Thomas knew he had to get out of Monticello to recover from his grief.

Just as his daughter left his office, one of the man's friend stepped inside. James Madison promised he would visit his friend before his leave to France. He eyed the eleven year old as she disappeared down the hall, and he let out a small smile as he looked back at Thomas.

"She's as bad as you." The man coughed as he delivered his joke. Thomas raised a brow at him,"You think? Thank goodness you haven't met my younger daughters. It gets worse as you decrease the age." He commented with a sigh as he picked up a paper and quill. He had to write to his sister-in-law, Elizabeth, right now if he wanted the children in Philadelphia on time for them to leave for France.

James furrowed his brows a little,"Worse? I recall in one of your letters that you said your Lucy Elizabeth reminded you of your late wife." He pointed out as he moved closer to the man's desk, peeking over to see he was in fact giving in on his eldest daughter's wishes. Thomas began writing the letter and he nodded his head. "She does, which is why I say worse. You know I always told you if women were allowed into politics, no one would stand a chance against Martha's temper. Lucy has appeared to inherit that temper. I knew it to be so when she started screaming at the sight of me after I was late for her birthday celebration." He explained.

"She screamed at the sight of you?" James asked, a little concern when the idea of a two year old wailing popped into his head. The man never had children of his own, and he had to admit that it the idea of a young child scared him. Patsy already scared him and she was over a decade old.

Thomas smirked when he looked up and saw the fear on his friend's face. "Like a banshee." He said darkly, which almost seemed to scare the man more. He could always understand why James was always so afraid of getting sick considering the man always looked quite ill, but he could never understand his fear of children. It's not like they were truly bad. They were just people, just younger than them.

His friend let out an uneasy laugh, coughing into his sleeve after it and nodding his head. "Good luck dealing with her in France then." James tried to sound encouraging, but now he was just thinking of Thomas dealing with the screaming toddler aboard a ship to France.

"She will not be my problem, rather my dear young Patsy's." He pointed out with a smirk, unaware to what his daughter had in mind.

* * *

"Girls, if you cannot get along I implore you to separate from each other instead of gaging in warfare with your dolls!" Elizabeth Wayles Eppes let out an exasperated breath as she finally pulled Lucy off of Polly. Taking care of her half-sister's children after her death wasn't an easy task, considering Elizabeth had children of her own. But after the look on Thomas's face when he had asked her to do it, she knew she couldn't say no.

Now all the woman could do was miss the days when Lucy was a baby and wasn't able to bite her older sister. For a girl so young, she had a habit of getting into fights with her playmates.

Her son, John, soon appeared at the door. He furrowed his brows at his mother who had been yelling at his half-cousins, and as the boy looked down from his mother to his cousins he soon knew why. "My goodness, Polly! Are you alright?" John rushed to her side, finding the six year old in a rather mess. Her long straight black hair was now a knotted mess from her younger sister's hair pulling, and her dress sleeve had been torn completely off. Polly's favorite doll was not in a good condition either, as it laid headless on the ground.

John looked over to Lucy to find the two year old with the head of the doll between her teeth. Lucy's brown eyes went wide at the glare her cousin was giving her, and she opened her mouth and dropped the doll's head on the ground.

"I'm sorry." Lucy mumbled, and Elizabeth sighed and pulled the young girl into her arms. "Lucy, please try and stop hurting your sister. She is your family after all." The mother sighed when she realized the two year old began crying and apologizing, and she quickly lifted the girl off the ground. Elizabeth looked down at her son,"I trust you to take care of your cousin." She said, earning a nod from him.

Elizabeth smiled as she carried the girl out of the room, knowing that her best choice would be to calm her down with a glass of milk. John's gaze soon returned to Polly, who was picking up her torn sleeve from the ground.

"You know she doesn't really mean to hurt you. Lucy was just a lioness in another life." The boy joked, hoping it was lift her spirits. However he wasn't returned with a smile on her face, and he frowned to see she was still upset. "Polly–" "Why does she get to be a lioness? She gets to be some fierce animal when she's only two? I'm older. I'm more mature, and stronger. Yet your nicest compliment of me is comparing me to a gopher." The girl was clearly upset, but it was the first time John realized she wasn't upset with Lucy.

She was upset with him.

The boy raised both brows at her comment,"Gopher? You're mad at me because I called you a gopher one time? That was a couple of months ago, Polly." He said, a little surprised she was bringing it up now. Polly frowned at him, and the six year old studied her torn sleeve. "The fact you think it hardly matters now just proves my point." She grumbled. John laughed at her,"What point? You're making no sense!" John exclaimed at her, regretting his tone when he realized he made the six year old cry.

"Oh, Polly... I'm sorry– I didn't mean to upset you–" He cut himself off as Polly thumped her head onto his chest. The eleven year old meekly smiled when he realized she was silently forgiving him as she wrapped her arms around his torso. John sighed a little, hugging her back.

His mother burst back into the room with Lucy on her hip and a letter in her hand. "Polly, your father has requested you accompany him to Paris!" Elizabeth practically cheered at the fact the two girls would soon be out of her hands. The girls might have been too young to pick up on it, but John did pick up on it as he stared up at his mother.

She tried to hide her guilt, but honestly she was still happy at the fact Thomas was willing to take them back.

John pulled away from Polly's hug, meeting her eyes. "I guess that means you'll be going away to Paris." He commented, a little sad he would be losing a playmate. Sure he enjoyed the company of his sisters, but they were much more well behaved than the likes of Polly and Lucy. And he had to admit, he had grown used to the trouble they had been causing in Eppington.

Polly frowned when she realized that the home she knew for almost two years was slipping away from her. She was quite fond of her aunt taking care of her, and couldn't imagine what he father was like after nearly two years of being apart from him. Was he still upset over her mother's death or was he better now?

"But– I'm not going to be in France forever, am I?" Polly questioned her aunt who shook her head at the young girl's question. "Of course not, what kind of a silly question is that? This simply means you'll be living with your father again. I imagine he'll be quite happy to receive the presence of you and your sister once again." Her aunt said with a nod of her head.

Lucy furrowed her brows at her aunt, and Elizabeth turned her head to meet the two year old's expression. "Papa?" The little girl asked, a little confused. Elizabeth had almost forgot that Lucy had practically no memory of her father. She was just a few months old when she was put into the care of Elizabeth, so any parents the girl knew was her and her husband, Francis.

She nodded her head,"Papa. Your papa. Thomas Jefferson. Are you excited to meet him?" She asked the young girl. Lucy frowned a little, unsure what she should say. For a girl who never really knew her father, she did look like him. Her head of black curls were almost as wild as the ones on Patsy's head.

"Should I be?" Lucy finally asked in a quiet voice. Elizabeth hesitated to answer, knowing the man Thomas was. But she put on a smile nevertheless. "Of course, sweetie." She encouraged, looking back down to Polly and John. "Why don't we start packing? Your father has a carriage coming for you in a week's time."

* * *

A week later the carriage arrived in front of the Eppes house. A young slave girl, around the same age as Patsy stepped out. She tried to remember that going off to France meant that she would get to be with her older brother. Sally couldn't wait to see James again.

Sally patiently paced the dirt road as she stood outside of the carriage. She knew that her position would come as a surprise to her master, knowing that in the letter that requested her presence came from one Patsy Jefferson. Sally knew she would be taking care of her master's two youngest daughters, who she had vaguely met years prior before they were sent off after their mother's death.

Finally, the door to the house opened and a woman emerged with three young children by her side. Elizabeth carried to large bags that could've only belonged to the young girls who stood besides her. The driver moved past Sally to help the woman of the house with the bags.

John stood closely behind his mother as they exited the house, but as soon as his mother moved forward to give the bags to the driver he quickly grabbed Polly's hand and tugged her away from the group. The little girl was confused at first, sending him a look as he pulled her wrist.

"What are you doing?" She frowned, ripping her wrist from his grip. John was surprised to see her so angry with him, but he just smiled softly. Polly hadn't expected a smile, and her frown quickly dissolved from her face. Instead the girl let her true emotions show. She was sad.

He took her hand gently this time, pressing his lips to the back of the girl's hand. The six year old blushed at the boy who was much older than her, but nothing less than a friend to her. "Adieu, my dear Mary Jefferson." He said polite, pulling the girl into a hug. "Goodbye, gopher." He whispered into her ear.

Polly rolled her eyes, shoving the eleven year old off of her. "You had to ruin it, didn't you?" She huffed as him, stomping off to the carriage as John laughed at her fuming. Elizabeth frowned as she took notice of her son. The woman moved closer to him, putting her hands on her hips.

"One day you'll regret those actions to Polly, young man." She warned him. John raised a brow at his mother, mirroring her stance. "And why would I regret them, Mother?" He challenged her. Elizabeth smirked as she looked down at him. "Because of these days, John, you're going to realize you're madly in love with her and when you ask her to marry you she will never think of you as a man rather as a childish little boy who called her gopher the last time he saw her." She pointed out.

John was about to argue with her, when he realized the woman might have a point. He watched as Polly made her way to the carriage. "Wait!" He yelled after the girl, running up to her before she could get inside. Polly was confused by his actions, whipping her head around to look at him.

"Promise we'll see each other again." He said quickly. "What?" Polly asked, raising both brows. "Promise me that we'll see each other again." He pleaded with her, and Polly was surprised to see he wasn't joking with her. The girl sighed before shrugging her shoulders a little. "Fine. I promise. I guess. I don't see why you need me to promise you anything." She mumbled.

The boy smiled at her promise, and finally said,"I'll miss you, that's why." He admitted. John actually expected to be answered with an eye roll, but he appreciated the smile she gave him much more. The boy looked back at his mother who gave him two thumbs up.

Sally paid no attention to the display of affection between the two young children, instead approaching the two year old girl who stood by her aunt's side. Lucy looked up at the girl and held both hands up to her. "Up!" Lucy demanded, but not in a harsh way that Sally was used to from her masters. She realized that Lucy must be too young to see her as a slave, and therefore wouldn't abuse the power she had over her.

She smiled and picked the girl up, looking to Elizabeth as she did so. Elizabeth nodded her head shortly to the slave, only out of the politeness she was raised with. "Take care of her." She said, and Sally knew this demand was much different from the one Lucy had given her.

This one was harsh.

"Yes, Ma'am." Sally bowed her head to the woman, carrying Lucy in her arms. Lucy smiled up at the girl with kindness, and Sally couldn't help but smile back. "What's your name, little miss?" Sally asked the two year old as they stepped into the carriage.

Lucy settled herself onto the seat of the carriage, but still held Sally's hand. "My name is Bean." The little girl responded, still carrying a smile on her face. Sally was confused as they were joined by Polly inside the carriage. Polly planted herself on the other side of Sally,"Her name is Lucy Elizabeth." She corrected her young sister, knowing she was to blame for that mistake.

The driver closed the door as Sally nodded her head a little, still a little confused over Lucy's mistake. The carriage soon took off, and Polly couldn't help but look out the window to see Eppington disappear from the line of sight. She watched as John and Elizabeth shrunk in the distance and she longed for a time when she would return to Virginia.

* * *

 ** _Autumn 1985_**

Thomas was convinced he would've liked France better without his daughters. He attempted to enroll them into school, which worked out for Polly and Patsy, but unfortunately it could not work with Lucy. Unfortunately she was too young to begin her education in a proper classroom with other young ladies. Instead it would be left to her companion, Sally, to take care of her for now until the girl grew older.

Having her home however made it harder to work, considering she so easily slipped out of the care of Sally.

"Papa! Papa! I've brought you a present!" The three year old bounced up. Thomas hardly looked up from his work until his daughter was right besides him, dumping her gift onto his desk. The man frowned as soon as he saw dirt on his desk. "Lucy Elizabeth, what on Earth–" An unearthly, high-pitched scream left his throat as the frog Lucy had dropped onto his desk hopped onto his sleeve.

Her father screamed, overwhelmed with fear and shock for the amphibian his daughter had gifted him. Lucy chuckled as Sally bursted into the office. "Lucy, what did I say about running away from me?" The thirteen year old let out an exhausted pant, nearly collapsing on the floor of her master's office.

Thomas wailed as the frog settled onto his shoulder, and he quickly rushed to his feet. The man in the magenta suit began running around his office as the frog jumped into his hair. His screaming became only louder as the frog made a home in his curls.

Lucy giggled as she watched her father's reaction, taking Sally by the arm. "Look at how much he loves my present, Sally." The three year old grinned brightly at sight as the slave frowned nervously. She knew the little girl only had the best intentions when she found the frog outside in the garden, but Sally was going to be the one who paid for this.

It was too soon when Sally found herself standing apologetically in front of her master's desk. Thomas's hair was still wet from the bath he insisted he take after she managed to get the frog off of him. In fact, he had taken _three_ baths over the course of a few hours since the incident.

"Mr. Jefferson, if I could just say–" The girl began, but she was cut off by the man's glare. Sally then shut up, knowing never to speak up against her master. Thomas crossed his arms over his chest,"I hope you are aware of your failures today. When Patsy presented you to me, I was very doubtful that you were capable of caring for my daughters appropriately and it seems like I was right." He spoke.

Her blood ran cold when she realized where this was heading. "No, Mr. Jefferson, please don't send me back to America!" She pleaded with him. Thomas raised a brow, leaning back in his chair. "And your argument as the reason why you shouldn't?" He questioned.

Sally frowned as she tried to come up with an excuse that would guarantee her stay in Paris, but the only one she found was the truth. She looked down at her hands. "Please, sir... I wish not to be separated from my brother. Nor from the young Miss Jefferson. Lucy is a kind young girl, and I am thankful I was given the chance to care for her. She is more than just troublesome, and you would know that if you took time out of your work to see that." She said.

"Are you saying that I don't care for my daughter?" Thomas asked, a little angry with the accusation of the slave. Sally frowned and shook her head gently. "Not at all, sir. All I mean to say is that you in no way thanked her for thinking of you today." She simply explained. "Thinking of me?" He questioned, furrowing his brows at the girl.

The thirteen year old nodded her head firmly,"She always thinks of you. She loves you very much. All she wishes is to do something that would make you happy. That would make you smile. Mr. Jefferson, don't you see how much your daughters care for you? Polly and Patsy as well. And yet you have sent them away. Why do you do this to them?" She couldn't help but ask.

Thomas frowned at the point she was trying to make. "These girls do not have a mother, Miss Hemings. I appreciate your concern for their well being, but I simply can't be both. I cannot be a mother and a father to them." He pointed out.

"I was not asking you to be both mother and father to your children, sir. I was asking you to be their father." She replied, and he looked up at her response. It was odd to see disappointment in her from one of his own slaves, and even weirder for it to get to under his skin.

Without saying anything on the subject, Thomas pointed towards the door. "You are dismissed, Miss Hemings." He ordered her. Sally frowned as she looked at him,"But, sir–" "Sally, I said you are dismissed. It's getting late. You have to put Lucy to bed." He pointed out.

"Wait... does this mean–" " _Sally_." Thomas stopped her again, sending her a look. He tried to ignore the smile that crept its way onto her features, but he couldn't help but be surprised when he saw her smiling at him. Sally bowed her head, still smiling out of relief as she exited his office.

He furrowed his brows, wondering what this encounter meant, and wondering if he was beginning to take the wrong idea from it.

* * *

 _ **Spring 1789**_

Sally would've preferred it if he her master had listened to her advice all those years ago instead of listening to her now of all times. She waited outside patiently with Thomas as they awaited the carriage with the three girls to arrive. Just as Lucy had finally started her education that year at the age of six years old, the seven year old would be returning to find she would not return to her school. Not after her older sister, Patsy, expressed to her father she was looking into practicing the religion taught at their boarding school.

After his daughter said she wanted to convert to catholicism, Thomas soon pulled all three girls from the school.

They were waiting for the carriage when Thomas took Sally's hand. The seventeen year old froze at his touch, and immediately ripped her hand away. She realized that was the first time she had probably said no to his advances. Sally always wanted to deny him, but was too afraid of what would he would do if she did. Her fear clearly showed in her eyes as he looked at her in confusion.

"Please... not in front of your girls, sir. It isn't right." She said weakly, and Thomas simply smiled at her nerves. He nodded his head, yet still put his hand gently on her back. "Sally, I told you to call me Thomas." The man reminded her. The girl lowered her head, vaguely nodding at his words.

At least, as she requested he removed his hand from her back as soon as the carriage appeared in view.

The carriage pulled up in front of the house, and the first one to exit the carriage was Polly. Almost eleven years old, the girl stepped out of the carriage with a smile on her face at the sight of her father. The girl soon ran up and pulled her father into a hug with a massive chuckle. Sally smiled as the next one to exit the carriage was Lucy.

She had very recently turned the age of seven, and it was her first birthday in a long time away from Sally. As Thomas opened his arms for his youngest, Lucy went to hug the slave over her father. Thomas didn't seem to mind however, and Sally almost wished he did. After she hugged Sally, she went to wrap her arms around Thomas.

Patsy was the last one to exit the carriage. She didn't look as happy as her sisters did, in fact Sally guessed the girl wasn't happy at all by the look she gave her. The slave lowered her head as the girl approached her family, knowing the reason behind the girl's disdain.

Sally was the same age as Patsy, and she regretted the most that the girl had to learn of her relationship with her father. It wasn't right, and Sally knew that. But Patsy still felt the need to constantly remind her of that every time she saw her. As much as she tried to avoid the glare the teenager gave her, Sally could not.

"My darling, you're home. I'm so glad to see all of you." He said, pressing a kiss to Patsy's temple, and she coldly accepted it. Thomas was oblivious to his daughter's actions. Sally was almost thankful of that, for he didn't know that she knew the truth about them. Only Sally knew because the girl hadn't hesitate to expose her suspicions to her the last time she saw her.

Thomas quickly ushered his youngest daughters inside, and Sally paused when Patsy got in her way of entering the door. "Miss Jefferson–" Sally began, but stopped speaking when she saw the glare in her eyes. "Sally, do your best to distance yourself from my father from now on. Lucy is only seven years old, not an adult. She needs taking care of. Is that clear?" Patsy asked her.

The slave nodded her head towards the girl. "Yes, Miss Jefferson." Sally replied, watching the girl whip her head around and march inside the house.

* * *

 _ **Autumn 1789**_

Patsy knew quite well they couldn't stay in France any longer. In fact she was quite aware the situation couldn't last forever, and that soon they would be back home in Monticello. It didn't please her however when they left in such a rush, but she knew they couldn't compromise their safety. France became a dangerous place with the revolution that was coming. People were rioting in the streets, clearly angry with the rich aristocrats that cared very little about them.

Watching those sights made her nervous, because Patsy knew it was quite different from growing up watching the revolution in America.

The seventeen year old girl sat in the carriage with her sisters, watching the scenery roll by from outside the window. She tried her best not to look at Sally who sat across from her. The girl of the same age was swollen with child, and Patsy couldn't help but think bitterly at the fact that the child that Sally would soon bear would be her half-sibling.

She tried to ignore the fact that her seven year old sister was curled up on the slave's lap.

The carriage finally stopped, and Patsy expected the door to be opened either by the driver or by her father who had ridden in the carriage in front of theirs. You could imagine the surprise on her face when the Thomas who opened her door wasn't her father, but in fact the son of one of her father's friends.

"Tom!" Patsy shouted in surprise, making the twenty-one year old jump at her shriek of his name. He was about to respond just as she was stepping out of the carriage. The girl accidentally stepped on her dress, tripping over and taking the young man down with her.

The man blushed as he was pinned underneath the teenage girl. Tom looked up at Patsy with a charming smile, and a blush rose to her cheeks as she stared down at him. "Martha Jefferson, what a pleasure it is to see you again... even if it's under these circumstances. Well, I'm under you. You're on top of me." He said awkwardly, his charming smile almost betraying his true fumbling nature.

Patsy blushed when she realized she hadn't gotten off of him yet. "Oh, Tom, I'm so sorry. I mean– oh, I mean Thomas. No, Tom. No... no, Thomas. No, Tom." She said, frantically stumbling through her words. The girl had often called the man Tom when they were children, but she wasn't sure how she was supposed to go by it now.

"Tom is fine, Martha." He assured her. Patsy smiled in relief, not realizing that he was using her real name. She usually hated whenever people called her by her real name since her mother's death, but she didn't when he used it.

"Um... Martha?"

"Yes?"

"Can you get off of me now?"

"Oh!" Patsy exclaimed, immediately climbing off of the young man as her sisters joined her out of the carriage. Polly furrowed her brows at the sight of her older sister getting embarrassed over a handsome young man. She was so used to her sister presenting herself as the ideal version of a lady, especially in front of young suitors.

She typically was able to remain calm in front of them, even though she clearly was incapable of being flirtatious with them. Patsy didn't seem calm at all though, as she offered a hand to the man. Tom took the girl's hand, and Patsy helped him up.

The girl reached over and dusted him off quickly, apologizing to him as their father approached. Thomas was quite content to see the sight of the young man and his daughter, knowing fully why he had planned this stop on their way back home to Monticello. Patsy was at the right age to marry, and the young man's father was his childhood friend. Both fathers agreed to the union, but both decided to leave it up to their children to work it out.

It was clear to him as he noticed the looks between Patsy and Tom that it would be no problem.

He then looked to Sally, who carried his sleeping daughter in her arms. Thomas smiled down at the slave, and then gestured to the house. "Come along, we wouldn't want to keep Mr. Randolph waiting." He said.

* * *

 _ **Winter 1790**_

Much time hadn't passed before the Jeffersons returned to Monticello. They were just getting unpacked when Thomas received a letter from Washington. It was the letter he had been waiting, the whole reason why going back to America was so important to him. He was the president, and he wanted Thomas as his secretary of state. With his eyes set on becoming president himself, this was the perfect way for him to move closer to the position.

He would've left right away if it had not been for the proposal.

Patsy was finishing a ride with her horse when she saw Tom come into view. The girl slowed down, approaching the young man on horseback. She watched as snowflakes fell softly from the sky, falling just as soft into his short curly hair as it did for her. She smiled as she saw him walk up to her.

"Tom, what a surprise. You should've wrote that you were going to visit Monticello." She suggested, moving to dismount her horse. The man instantly reached up, grabbing her gently by the waist and helping her off the horse. Patsy blushed to be this close to him, and smiled weakly up at him. "Tom, I could've done it myself." The girl pointed out.

As he smiled down at her, she felt utterly helpless. "I know. I just wanted an excuse to help you." He admitted, and somehow Patsy felt even more helpless as he spoke to her.

She took him by the hand, leading him inside her house as soon as she returned her horse to the stables. She had to admit she was nervous as the two of them approached her father's office. Tom felt just as nervous as she did, and when Patsy peeked a look at him she was relieved that she could see it on his face.

It was nice for her to see he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

Tom opened the door to her father's office, and they soon found the man sitting down writing a letter. Thomas looked up from his writing to realize his daughter hadn't entered his office unaccompanied. He already knew what was going on, but did his best to act like he didn't as he looked over the two of them.

"Mr. Randolph, may I help you?" He asked casually, trying to hide the fact he was nearly screaming inside with excitement to realize that his plan to bring the two children together had worked. Tom let go of Patsy's hand, sending her a reassuring smile as he nervously approached her father.

He took a deep breath, meeting the man's eyes. "Mr. Jefferson, I would like to ask your permission–" "Yes." The young man was surprised when he was cut off by Thomas. He furrowed his brows, and Thomas cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Tom, please continue in what you have to say."

"Mr. Jefferson, my intention of this visit is to ask you for your permission to court–" "Yes."

Thomas cleared his throat again, fake coughing into a fist as he tried to contain himself. "Sorry, Tom. I promise this is the last interruption I give you. Please, continue." The man gestured for Tom to continue. The twenty-one year old was still confused on why he was urged to continue after receiving the man's blessing twice in a row, but he decided it was best to listen to Thomas.

"Sir, I just want your permission to court your eldest daughter and if she'll agree to it, I ask for your blessing to ask for her hand in marriage–" "YES!"

He couldn't contain himself any longer, as Thomas flew out of his chair and banged his fists on his desk with an excited grin. The young couple stared wide-eyed at his enthusiasm but knew better than to question it. Patsy let out a chuckle as she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her new courter.

Tom grinned down at the woman he couldn't wait to make his wife, and as she smiled back up at him the man was surprised with a gentle kiss on his lips from Patsy. The girl pulled away blushing when she realized their first kiss was in front of her father, but took Tom's hand as the couple looked back to her smiling father.

* * *

Only a week had passed since her marriage to Tom. Patsy and him courted for a little over a month before he finally decided to properly propose to her. There was no question on whether she would say yes, and they soon married in late February.

She was overjoyed to become Mrs. Randolph, but her happiness was short as the rest of her family packed off for New York.

Thomas wouldn't be taking any slaves with him into a free state, so instead he said his goodbye to Sally in the early morning. Things had been tense between them since the death of their child. He knew the best thing to do was to give the young girl space, as he did for Martha when she had lost her child.

He waited outside as Polly and Lucy came with their belongings to load the carriage. Polly seem excited to be heading up to New York, yet still the girl couldn't help but remember her promise to John. They hadn't been to Eppington since they left for Paris and the girl wasn't sure how to bring up the fact she wanted to see him to her father. Polly was only twelve years old, and she knew that John was the same age as her older sister.

She only hoped he hadn't set his eyes on someone else in her absence.

Normally she would've only considered him her childhood friend, but as she grew older and saw the love and affection shared between Patsy and Tom she knew that even as a child that seeing him as her friend wasn't the only way she cared for him.

Lucy slumped her shoulders as she dragged her bag to the carriage. She didn't want to go to New York. She wasn't excited to leave Sally behind in Monticello. But she knew she had to go with her father, as he wasn't leaving Polly here, he certainly wouldn't leave her.

Patsy stood sadly outside the door of her house as her husband joined her. She was surprised when she looked at him to find Tom carrying her bag. "What is this?" She questioned, offering him a playful smirk. "Are you trying to get rid of me already? We haven't even been married for a full week yet." Patsy pointed out.

Her husband rolled his eyes, taking her hand. "I'm not trying to get rid of you. I'm just trying to not hold you back. I know you don't want to see your family leave so soon, not to mention I know how much you care about your sisters. Especially Lucy. Look at how upset she looks. She wouldn't be so upset if you were there to make her smile." He simply pointed out.

She smiled at him gently,"What did I do to deserve such a perceptive husband?" She asked him. Tom smiled fondly at his wife as he pulled her into a quick kiss. "Only a few weeks, no more than a month. We still need to have our honeymoon and I promise when you come back you will never leave my sight. I'll spend so much time with you that you will be begging to return to New York." He joked.

"Please, I could never get sick of you, husband." She said, liking the word which left her lips. Patsy was very happy to be married to him. Tom pressed another quick kiss to her lips, pulling away and leaning his forehead on hers. "As I could never get sick of you, wife." He commented.

Patsy took her bag was his hands, moving away and running down the steps to her father. Thomas was overjoyed at the fact that she would be joining them for the first few weeks, pulling his daughter into a tight hug.

* * *

They arrived in New York in no time. Lucy was almost excited as they exited the carriage, but her happiness was only due to the fact that her eldest sister held her hand. Patsy grinned down at the seven year old knowing that it was the right choice for her to come along.

James Madison stood outside the carriage, looking in a worse shape than Thomas had left the man all those years ago. He didn't look more sick, just more stressed. Thomas was confused when the man quickly took his arm and dragged him off to the side away from his daughters. "What's going on?" He questioned his friend. James looked rather stressed as he looked at him. "You have no idea what's in store for you here, Thomas. Just you wait, you have no idea at how much you've missed."

Thomas raised a brow and asked,"What'd I miss?"

* * *

 **A/N: This was my lame attempt to write an actual summary of this point in Jefferson's life. Please feel free to read up more about what he did in France, and even more to read up on the Hemings. History likes to forget about how awful it was for that family, and they especially like to gloss over the affair between Sally and Thomas considering how awful it was for him to take advantage of a girl the same age as his daughter. Not to mention, she was his wife's half sister.**

 **A little less horrible historical facts is that he fell in love with French cuisine while in France, and enjoyed everything French basically so his portrayal in Hamilton is pretty accurate. Not to mention Polly was actually known as gopher during her childhood. Anyways, yeah. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Hamiltons to appear in the next chapter!**


	3. The Jefferson Sisters

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for all the reviews! It's super encouraging. And so this is the chapter where some of our lovely Jeffersons meets our equally (if not more) lovely Hamiltons!**

 **Also I did want to address one of the comments, yes your English teacher was right. Slavery in Europe actually was not as big as it was in America and so they got rid of it much sooner. The reason for that was that Europe is very small compared to the United States, so land was expensive and people were cheap. In America it was reversed because they had so much space, so land was cheap and people were expensive. The more slaves you had the better off you were. Now France abolished slavery in 1789, so Thomas Jefferson had to convince Sally and her older brother James to come back with him in America. Jefferson actually paid James while in France, and continued to do this even after they returned to America. He even granted James his freedom in 1796. With Sally it was a little different, though the reason she most likely went back with him was because she was pregnant. Sally wasn't freed until after Jefferson's death, and she was freed by his daughter Patsy.**

 **Just a little history lesson. Please enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

 _ **Winter 1790**_

"Thomas, we are engaged in a battle for our nation's very soul. Can you get us out of the mess we're in? Hamilton's new financial plan is nothing less than government control. I've been fighting for the South alone." James Madison explained as he cleared his throat with a cough. He looked back to his friend's daughters who were getting their things from the carriage. Most of them were too young to partake into politics so he tried to keep his voice calm when he spoke to Thomas, even though he was anything but calm. "Where have you been?"

He was still confused by James's words, having no idea whoever this _Hamilton_ was. The man clearly seemed to be quite a stress by his affect on James. "Uh... France." Thomas commented, knowing that his friend knew very well to where Thomas had been the past few years. James didn't seem very impressed by his comment, taking him by both shoulders.

For such a weak and ill man, his grip was undeniable tight on Thomas's shoulders.

James had a half a mind to yell his troubles away on the man who left him all alone to deal with the likes of Alexander Hamilton, but just sighed and looked down defeatedly. He couldn't yell at someone who was seemingly the south's only hope. "We have to win." He urged.

"Uncle James!" A high-pitched squeal of excitement left a seven year old's mouth. James found his legs being gripped by his friend's youngest daughter. His blood immediately ran cold, for his fear of children had gotten no better since Thomas had left for France with his daughters.

Instead of letting out the fear Thomas knew he had, he looked up at the man a little confused.

"Why is your daughter calling me 'uncle'?" James questioned. Thomas smiled sheepishly at his friend before shrugging his shoulders innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about James, seeing as this young girl has never met you in her entire life. It's not as if I talk about you only in the highest praises towards my darling children when you are not around." Thomas replied.

Lucy giggled at her father's words, looking up at James with wide eyes. "He does. He really does." She whispered to the man with another giggle. James found himself actually smiling down at the seven year old, but it might have been more due to the fact Thomas complimented him without actually complimenting him. "Up!" Lucy cried with a smile, letting go of James's legs and thrusting her hands into the air.

Patsy smiled fondly at her little sister, looking to the man she hadn't seen since she was eleven years old. "You know if you don't carry her she'll start screaming." The teenaged girl pointed out.

Suddenly the memory of the time Thomas told him about Lucy wailing like a banshee when she was angry with him flooded into the mind of James. He quickly picked up the little girl by her waist. Lucy wrapped her legs around the man's waist and wrapped her arms around his neck. The seven year old giggled,"Thank you, Uncle James." Lucy said sweetly.

James sent his friend another look. "You have to get her to stop saying that." He told him, not as a demand but more as a cry for help.

Thomas considered his request for a moment before going over and helping Polly with her bags. "That sounds more like your problem than mine, my dear James. Now if you'll excuse me and my children we must be setting in before you take me off to my very first cabinet meeting." Thomas said, picking up one of his daughter's bags. Polly smiled at her father as a small thank you, going to take her older sister's hands.

As James looked over Thomas and his daughters, he realized it was better for them all to settle down before he took their father away from them. Especially Lucy who was still in his arms. The man nodded his head simply in agreement to Thomas's request.

"Thank you. Now girls, what are the rules for today once more?" Thomas looked to his young daughters. Without Sally here, Patsy knew she had to actually take care of her younger siblings for the first time. She was so used to having the slave there that she realized despite her small hate for Sally, Patsy desperately needed her to contain her sisters. The girl wasn't actually sure she was capable of it.

Patsy smiled nervously, knowing that she was the only one out of the three sisters to actually remember her father's rules. "Stay together. Do not leave anyone behind. Do not talk to strangers. Do not go over to anyone's house without your permission. Do not accept food or drink from strangers. And always inform you of our whereabouts." Patsy recited the rules with some hesitation, knowing she had to be missing one.

She was missing one.

Her father raised a brow a little, still wondering where the last one was. Patsy grew nervous as her father looked at her, and the teenager grew scared when she realized she had missed one. "I–... Uh..." Patsy racked her brain for the answer. She didn't like the small glare her father was now giving her. Despite being a well educated young lady who was quite talented and married, she was still just her age.

Thomas decided to give her a break, knowing he had always expected too much out of her considering she was the oldest. "Do not go downtown." He reminded, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to his daughter's forehead. Patsy let out a small smile, relieved that he had decided to mercifully save her.

"Thank you, Papa." She told him, and Thomas gently caressed her cheek before looking back to James who was now gaging his youngest in conversation. For a man so scared of children, Thomas really hoped that one day James would realized at how much of a loving father he could be.

James noticed his friend's eyes on him, and looked over at Thomas with a smile. "My dear Thomas, you never told me Lucy was quite the reader. Based our on conversations with her I always presumed–" He stopped when Thomas gently patted his shoulders. "I always said she was a trouble, James, I never said she wasn't smart." Thomas smiled at his youngest.

Lucy stuck out her tongue playfully back at her father, getting herself out of James's arms by jumping back onto the ground. She then ran over and took Patsy's free hand, as the girl's other hand was currently occupied by Polly. James studied the three girls together before looking to his friend. "The Jefferson sisters." The man remarked with a smile.

The three girls grinned at James's comment.

"Papa, you and Mr. Madison have a cabinet meeting to attend to. I trust that I have assured you that I know the rules well enough to take care of my two younger sisters. I promise you that we will not go downtown, instead most of the day will be unpacking. Right?" Patsy said, looking to her younger sisters. Polly and Lucy shared a collective look that they were definitely _not_ going to listen to the rules, but luckily for them and unfortunately for Thomas and Patsy their look was ignored by the grown ups around them.

"Right!" Polly and Lucy both lied. Patsy smiled, sadly oblivious to the mischief the younger girls were planning.

Their father looked over the three of them before finally nodding his head. All their bags and belonging stood on the sidewalk in front of the boarding house they would be staying in until Thomas had found their new house for the time being. He looked back to the carriage where his driver sat waiting for him to leave with James.

Thomas nodded his head at the driver before moving to the carriage and opening the door again. He stepped inside waiting for his friend to join him. James looked to the driver,"You are aware of the address, correct?" He asked. "James!" Thomas called on the man. James waited until the driver nodded before joining his friend inside the carriage.

"Don't get into any trouble!" Thomas leaned his head out of the window of the carriage as it pulled away, looking back at his daughter who were gathering up their bags and entering the boarding house.

He fell back against his seat in the carriage, looking across him to James. "What?" Thomas asked, noticing a look in his fellow southerner's eyes that he didn't exactly like. James simply shrugged his shoulders a little,"Nothing... just... I don't exactly believe they'll stay out of trouble, Thomas." He admitted honestly. Even after his brief conversation with Lucy did leave the impression that she was a bright young girl, he was smarter than to think he was wrong about his first instinct about her. She was trouble, and there was no doubt in James Madison about it.

"Oh boy." Thomas muttered, realizing that his friend may be right.

* * *

"Papa said not to go downtown!" Patsy practically screamed at the young girls she was running after. Polly and Lucy shared a chuckle, holding onto each other's hands as they both paused waiting for their older sister to catch up. Just as the seventeen year old finally reached them with a panting breath, they giggled and soon took off again.

"You're breaking the rules! Don't leave me behind!" Patsy yelled at them, finally hiking up her skirt and sprinting after them. The two girls could no longer be a match to outrun their sister, considering the teenager was taller than both of them. Patsy finally caught up to them, cutting both of them off by running in front of them.

The girl almost slipped, considering the streets were covered in a thick layer of slush and thin snow. It was already March but that didn't stop it from still being cold in New York. Patsy let go of her skirt, holding both palms out facing Polly and Lucy. "Stop!" She begged them.

Polly and Lucy actually listened to her for once, and stopped running. She let out a cry of relief as she continued to pant as she looked at them. The two sure were a trouble and Patsy had never realized this must've been what Sally went through whenever dealing with both of them.

"We need to stick together at least if we're going downtown. Polly, take my hand and don't let go of Lucy." She instructed, holding out her hand to the eleven year old. Polly took her hand deciding it was better if her sister was cooperating with her instead of her having to leave her behind. "Does this mean we can go downtown?" Polly asked with a gleam in her eyes.

She nodded her head at her sister. "Yes. But only because you two are little beasts who won't stop until they get what they want!" Patsy yelled at the girls, a little angry even though she knew she was giving into their wishes. "Yay, Patsy!" Lucy squealed as she rushed to hug her sister. Patsy smiled a little when Lucy hugged her, knowing it was hard to deny the little troublemaker.

"Now come on. Eyes up and hold on tight. It's time for this city to meet the Jefferson sisters, yes?" Patsy asked the two of them. Both excited that she was finally agreeing with them, Polly and Lucy nodded their heads quickly. Patsy gripped Polly's hand, looking between both of them before nodding her head firmly.

It was better to be with them than against them, and at least if she was with them she had a better chance at keeping the two girls out of trouble.

Walking downtown was farther than the three of them had expected but it was probably due to the fact they hadn't really been to this city before that day. Either that, or they were all still tired from all that running away and chasing they had done prior. Patsy knew she was still tired from that.

Downtown was nothing like they had expected. All three girls were used to plantation life, even to the aristocratic France which had now fell to revolution. They were not used to the core of New York City. It seemed to be every class of life gathered in this city center, though the lower class stuck to places where they wouldn't bother the rich. Students walked around with their books, sending certain looks to Patsy that as a married woman she knew to deny. Carriages took down the street, splashing some bystanders with slush if they stood too close to them as they rode on by.

Eliza Hamilton walked with her two oldest children down the streets. They were certain errands the woman had to run before returning home, and after her children has begged to accompany her she didn't want to deny them the chance. She also figured a couple of extra hands could help.

"Keep up, Philip." The woman reminded her eight year old, who was trailing behind her and his sister. Angelica Hamilton held her mother's hand tightly, knowing that her mother could secretly be very scary when she was angry. Because of this, the six year old knew better than to stray.

Philip didn't know better.

The boy stopped at nearly every shop they passed by, wondering if this was the one they were heading into. The only reason Eliza wasn't holding his hand because he was the oldest and was supposed to be responsible, but now the mother was starting to regret not holding onto the boy sooner.

"Philip." She called, whipping her head around to see the eight year old standing right behind them with an innocent grin on his face. She sighed at her son before smiling at him. "Keep up." Eliza reminded him, earning an eager nod from Philip. She turned back as they continued their walk to the store she was heading to.

Not far behind walked the Jefferson sisters with the eldest leading them. Polly and Lucy were bursting with excitement over being downtown, but Patsy was still worried that they might get in trouble if their father were to find out. "What's that?" Polly asked, letting go of her younger sister's hand to point across the street. Patsy held back a groan, knowing she wouldn't give up until they've seen whatever Polly was looking for.

"Come on." Patsy said, unaware that Polly had let go of Lucy's hand. She began crossing the street with Polly. Lucy raised both brows as her sister neglected to take notice that the one condition she agreed on in order to go to downtown was broken. The seven year old smirked as she realized she could take this opportunity to do whatever she wanted until Patsy noticed, but knew it was better to stick with her sisters than risk getting lost.

Lucy followed after them across the street, trailing a few feet behind them. She bounced with every step, practically skipping across the street. It was only a mistake when her foot caught on her dress and Lucy tripped over it. The seven year old frowned when she realized she ripped the hem of her dress clean when her foot hit the ground. Lucy let out a soft frustrated cry as she leaned down to inspect it, knowing that her father would be very disappointed in her to find she had ruined one of her favorite dresses. She wondered if she could sew it back together, but her needle work wasn't as good as her sisters.

She wasn't aware that when she had gone to check the rip in her dress that she was still in the middle of the street. Patsy and Polly had already crossed, and had their backs turned to her. Neither of one of them could warn the distracted little girl of an incoming carriage. It was too close for the driver to see the bent over little girl over the massive size of the horses. Not even the horses noticed her.

There was someone who did notice her. A young wandering boy noticed.

"Look out!" Philip yelled, not hesitating to run into the street to push the girl out of the way. Lucy shrieked when she was pushed into the slush, finally gaining the attention of her sisters who had forgotten about her. Philip didn't move out of the way of the carriage, instead shoving his hands into the air and shouting at the horses to stop. Both horses jumped onto their back legs at the sight of the eight year old yelling at them.

He was too close to them. If he didn't move he could get hit by them stomping their front legs back down. Lucy took notice, despite having been tossed onto the ground by the boy. She rushed up, grabbing Philip by his wrist and pulling him back onto the ground with her. The boy was taken by surprise, and fell straight down. She shrieked again when Philip fell right on top of her.

Philip mumbled an 'ow' as the driver yelled at both of them for stopping his carriage, before taking off again. That action caused slush to be sprayed right over the two little kids. They both shut their eyes as the cold watery substance hit their bodies as the carriage rode past them. Philip raised his hand, wiping the slush from his eyes as he looked down at the girl he was on top of.

She was undeniable cute for a young girl, and her dress still looked pretty despite being covered in snow and slush and the dirt that mixed in. Lucy opened her eyes slowly, following the boy in wiping his eyes as he did earlier. She looked at him a little confused, but suddenly her eyes came into realization.

"I'll kill you!" She screamed, pushing the boy off of her. Philip fell back on the slush, the chilly wetness creeping into his curls. Lucy climbed onto of him, and Philip screamed in fear when she began pelting him with her fists. Both Patsy and Eliza ran up to the fighting children in complete shock at what happened. Patsy let go of Polly's hand and grabbed Lucy by the waist, lifting her off of Philip.

"I just saved your life!" Philip defended himself as he sat up quickly. Lucy still had her hands curled into fists as she struggled against her sister's grip on her. "I just saved your life!" Lucy yelled back at him angrily. Philip frowned when he received no thank you for his brave actions. "I saved yours first!" The eight year old quipped. "I saved yours better! I didn't push you into the snow!" Lucy pointed out.

He frowned when he realized she was right. Eliza leaned down, letting go of her daughter's hand as she reached for her handkerchief. She wiped Philip's face of any remaining slush. His eyes shifted to his mother, and his heart sank at the disappointment in her eyes. "Sorry. I worried you, didn't I?" He whispered. Eliza let out a small relieved chuckle when he spoke, her eyes were filled with tears because her heart had stopped at the sight of him in front of those horses. She wouldn't known what she would've done if she had lost Philip.

"What is it with you and your father thinking bravery is heroically saving somebody else's life in risk of your own? Please never do that to me again, Philip." Eliza said with a shaky voice. Philip nodded his head a little,"I promise." The boy said meekly as his mother pulled him into a tight hug.

Patsy set Lucy down on the sidewalk, taking the girl by her shoulders. "What were you thinking? Why weren't you holding your sister's hand?" She asked the child angrily, even more angry when she realized who was to blame here. "Why weren't you holding your sister's hand?!" Patsy shouted as she looked back at Polly.

She frowned in fear, knowing that this situation would've never happened if she had never let go of Lucy's hand. Patsy caught onto the guilt in Polly's eyes and let her anger diminish a little. The teenager instead looked to the boy who had gone out of his way to help Lucy. Her eyes met Eliza's.

The mother let go of her son, standing up in front of the girl. "I feel like I must apologize for some of my son's actions." Eliza told her gently. Patsy shook her head,"No, I must apologize for my sister's actions. She had no right to senselessly begin beating your son for saving her life." She said, looking down at Lucy who was glaring up at her.

" _He_ started it! He ruined my dress... and he– he ripped it." Lucy said quickly, pointing down at the tear in her hem. It was a lie, but only she was the one who knew that. Philip narrowed his eyes at the girl as Angelica went to help him up. He quietly thanked his younger sister before crossing his arms over his chest.

Eliza eyed the young girl before looking back to her son. Both of them were a soggy mess, and it was still so chilly outside that the both of them could catch a cold if they stayed like this. As she looked back at Patsy, she realized the girl must be thinking the same thing.

"Please, if you allow me I would like to host you all over at my house. The children could wash up and I could make us all tea to make up for this whole ordeal. Would that sound agreeable to you, Miss?" Eliza asked the girl carefully. She was used to doing this. The woman always held social gathering in order to make peace for the actions of the men in her life. It always seemed to work in her favor, as her kindness always won the ones crossed by Hamilton men.

And Lucy was looking very crossed.

Patsy considered the offer, knowing the three of them probably had broken every rule their father had set for them. It was too late now to just go back to the boarding house and pretend the whole day never happened. They were going to get in trouble for sure, especially from the state Lucy was in.

She couldn't help thinking.

 _Might as well._

With a nod of the head, Eliza grinned at Patsy. "Oh, thank goodness. I promise my son won't cause any more trouble for you or your sisters. My name is Elizabeth Hamilton." She offered her hand to the girl. Patsy smiled politely and took her hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Lucy Elizabeth!"

"Polly!"

"And Patsy."

Patsy chuckled at her younger sisters for beating her to her introduction. "Jefferson. For the two of them, I am no longer a miss rather than a Mrs. Randolph. This is new." She explained, removing her hand from Eliza's to show the woman the ring. Eliza was surprised to realize the girl was already married so young, but what surprised her even more was the surname Patsy had given her.

"Thomas Jefferson?" Eliza asked carefully, wondering if it could be the same. Patsy wasn't shocked at the woman's presumption, considering her father was pretty famous for that little declaration he made all those years ago. "Our father." She explained. Eliza smiled,"My sister, Angelica, has wrote me letters about meeting him in–"

"Angelica?!" Polly and Lucy both asked with a gasp. The younger Hamilton child named after her aunt raised a brow at brow at the other two girls. Eliza looked down at the girls and realized that her sister did in fact made a close friend of Mr. Jefferson.

Their sister quickly shushed them before nodding her head, already knowing of Eliza's relation to Angelica. She had enough talks with the woman that when Eliza introduced herself, she convinced herself that accepting her invitation wouldn't be that bad considering she _technically_ wasn't a complete stranger.

"I see the three of have made her acquaintance, so by all means if you'd like to follow me we shall get Philip and Lucy Elizabeth cleaned up."

* * *

The carriage pulled up the building and James was the first one to get out. He held out his hand for Thomas and helped his friend helped him out of the carriage. They stood in front of the building and found the president waiting for them there. Thomas smiled at the fact he was that important to be greeted by George Washington himself. "Mr. Jefferson, welcome home!" George said as he approached the two men.

George shook his hand firmly, and Thomas smiled at the man. His smile immediately dropped at the man behind him. Whoever was crude enough to wear _that_ shade of green? The first secretary of treasury, of course. He politely smiled at Thomas, unaware of the man's immediate dislike of him based on his outfit choice.

"Mr. Jefferson? Alexander Hamilton." Alexander said, offering his hand to for him to state. Thomas stared down at it before walking past the man with James behind him. "Let's get this meeting started, shall we? I have a lot of things I'm eager to say." Thomas commented with a smile on his face. James smiled in relief when he realized his friend shared his dislike, and knew quickly that there was no way Alexander would win when Thomas was there to fight him.

* * *

Eliza frowned at the young girl when she realized the dress didn't fit. Lucy's dress was too damp and dirty for the girl to put back on, so the woman tried to see if one of her daughter's dresses would fit. Sadly the six year old wasn't a fit for the girl who was her older brother's age. Eliza sighed as she couldn't do up the buttons,"Lucy, dear, can you step out of the dress please?" She asked quietly.

The little girl did as she was told, taking the dress off. She was aware it didn't fit either but wondered what the woman would do to fix this current situation. "Don't worry." Eliza said, catching the look in the seven year old's eyes. Lucy nodded her head a little as she watched Eliza disappear out of the room.

She stood, a little cold being barely dressed in the room. Eliza put her into the bath right after she got Philip cleaned up. With Lucy it took a little longer considering her hair was much longer than his, yet equally as curly. She waited for a few minutes until Eliza returned with some fresh clothes.

"I'm sorry about this but I'm afraid I didn't have any more options." Eliza apologized as she helped the young girl get dressed into the clothes she had brought for her.

Philip sat at the bottom of the stairs, his chin resting on his knuckles as he waited. He was starting to regret boldly going off after the girl considering it caused all this fuss. But all he wanted to do was save her from getting hurt by that oncoming carriage. He shouldn't have pushed her so hard. He should've been more gentle and then she wouldn't have fallen into the slush. He should've stepped back so she wouldn't have had to save him as well.

It was a stupid thing to do when he looked back on it, but at least it wasn't worse than if she had gotten trampled by the carriage.

He heard movement from the top of the stairs, and the eight year old rushed onto his feet. His eyes stopped at the sight of Lucy, mostly due to her attire. He furrowed his brows as he looked at her. "Are those my clothes?" Philip asked as his mother appeared at the side of Lucy.

She looked apologetically at her son as she gently touched Lucy's shoulders from behind. "I couldn't find anything else that would fit her. You don't mind, do you? After all it was your actions that got Miss Jefferson in such a state that she had to abandoned her clothes." Eliza reminded him, sending a look Philip was all too familiar with. One usually reserved for his father.

The boy sighed but nodded his head, silently agreeing with this. He still crossed his arms however when they came down the stairs. Lucy stopped right in front of him, looking just as upset as he was. Eliza looked nervously between the children wondering if another fight was going to break out between them.

An idea popped into her head, and she smiled hopefully. "Lucy, you lived in France did you not? Do you know any French?" She asked the girl curiously. Lucy nodded her head a little. Eliza grinned as she continued,"And do you play piano?" Eliza was answered with another nod.

Eliza pushed the girl towards Philip, giving him a look. He already knew what his mother was thinking. He sighed a little before looking over to the girl who was now sporting his own wardrobe. "Do you want to play with me?" He questioned, showing his disinterest too clearly for his mother's taste.

His mother sent him a glare and he cleared his throat as his eyes returned to Lucy. "I mean, Miss Jefferson, would you do me the honor of joining me on the piano?" Philip asked, his voice softer and not showing his disinterest this time. He looked back at his mother, asking a silent ' _better?_ ' with his eyes. Eliza gave him a nod.

Lucy shrugged her shoulders a little,"I guess." She replied. This time Eliza gave her a glare. She raised a brow at the woman before looking back at the boy. "I mean– Mr. Hamilton, I would gladly accept your invitation to play piano with an open heart." She answered, looking back to Eliza asking a silent ' _better?_ ' with her eyes.

She nodded her head once again at the girl, before looking to her son. Philip rolled his eyes as he then offered his arm to Lucy. His eyes then shifted to Lucy. Lucy took his arm and the young children disappeared to the room where the piano was.

Patsy stared through the doorframe with a jaw dropped towards the mother. Eliza looked over and gave the teenager a soft smile,"As a mother you soon learn to handle children. Do you have any children yet, Mrs. Randolph?" The woman asked as she approached Patsy. She took the seventeen year old by the arm and led her back to where her daughter and the girl's sister were having tea.

"No children as of yet, Mrs. Hamilton." She replied as she looked to the woman. Eliza nodded head head,"Feel no need to call me Mrs. Hamilton, Eliza will do." The woman told her kindly. Patsy smiled at her with a nod,"Then feel no need to call me Mrs. Randolph. Patsy will do for me as well."

The two shared a smile as they went to sit down and continue having tea.

Philip let go of Lucy's arm as soon as they got out of his mother's sight, and he was glad that Lucy looked as relieved as he did to get away from him. It saved him the guilt of being rude. He looked to the piano when the entered the room, looking back at Lucy. "You don't have to play if you don't want to." He told her.

He moved towards the piano, sitting down. Philip actually happened to like the piano, and knew that he could use the practice. He really wanted to stop changing the line whenever he played with his mother, but every time they got the chance to practice it would always happen. He didn't know if it was just him messing up or the fact he thought the line sounded boring without the little deviation.

She surprised him when she sat besides him. He decided not to question her, a little afraid she would hit him again. Philip lifted his fingers to the key. " _Un deux trois quatre_..." Philip began, playing the notes. Lucy put her hands on the key, playing along with him.

" _Cinq six sept_ –" Lucy paused when he changed the line. Philip immediately stopped playing, afraid of what she would do when she realized he changed the line. Instead of saying anything, Lucy just frowned and began back at the fifth note. " _Cinq six sept_ –" She paused again when Philip changed the line again.

"Can you not?" She asked him with raised brows. The boy was a little hurt by her tone. "Excuse me, Miss Jefferson, but I will not be bossed around by you." He said, getting into her face a little. Lucy's temper snapped as she pushed him off the chair. "You're awful!" She screamed, raising her fists to him once more.

Philip wasn't sure if the fact that she was dressed as a boy, or the fact that he was truly angry at her now. But he went to hit her back, slapping her in the face. Lucy gasped as he hit her cheek and Philip froze at the sound. He had hit her. He had actually hit her. Lucy's eyes filled with tears and Philip jumped back onto his feet. "I'm so sorry–"

He was cut off by her fist to his face.

Lucy gasped a little when she realized she had sent him to the ground. She did want to hit him, but she didn't expect to knock him out. Their fight was interrupted by Patsy bursting into the room. The seventeen year old was very thankful when she realized that she had made the right decision to go investigate the noise instead of Eliza. She couldn't handle if the kind woman had walked in to find her sister had punched Philip in the face.

"Lucy Elizabeth, what on Earth were you thinking?" She asked her, helping the boy up. Philip groaned as he touched his nose which was very sore. Thankfully he wasn't bleeding but it still hurt a lot for him to be punched in the face. Lucy looked down at the floor, guilty as her sister addressed her. "We were playing piano–" "Piano?" Patsy raised a brow.

Suddenly a memory crossed her mind. Her mother and father playing together. Everything was always better whenever they played together. Whenever her mother's temper got the best of her and Martha ended up in a fight with Thomas, they always made up whenever he played his violin and she her piano.

Patsy looked down at Philip,"Do you have a violin?" She asked him gently. The boy nodded his head a little before he moved to the corner where the case was. Violin and piano were the most popular instruments for a young well off person to educate themselves in, besides his younger sister played. Patsy opened the case, looking back to Lucy and handing her the instrument and bow. "Try to get along." She urged the girl, leaning in to whisper something to her sister.

"You're more than just a troublesome child, Lucy. You're smart. You're kind. Show him the better parts of you." Patsy suggested to her. Lucy frowned a little as she looked down at the violin. "But aren't people supposed to like you for all of you and not only the good parts?" She questioned her sister.

Her sister nodded her head,"Yes, and you have clearly showed Mr. Hamilton your worst parts. Now you will forever know that if he likes you from this point on, he will like you for all of you." She told her.

Lucy decided her sister made a good point, and gave her a small nod. She looked back at Philip who had now settled himself back on the piano. She waited to play until her sister had left them be, but Philip was already picking up the line again. She decided to join him back on the fifth note, and this time when they reached the seventh note, she changed the line with him.

Philip froze when he heard her on the violin, and he didn't even get to nine as he looked back at her. "You changed the line." He pointed out as he looked at her. Lucy shrugged her shoulders, her bow still on the string. "It sounded better that way with the violin." The girl mumbled into her instrument, but he still caught it.

* * *

Alexander yanked the door open to his house. Every step he took was heavy and angry. He caused such a noise when he came in, even slamming the front door shut as he made his way into his house. He entered the room where Eliza sat in a chair with a teacup in her hands. His eyes briefly scanned over her as he dropped his bag of documents onto the floor.

He went face first down on the sofa in their living room, shoving his face into a pillow. His scream was muffled by the pillow he had buried his head into. Eliza set down her teacup on the table in front of her. "You're home early. Bad day, dear?" She asked him calmly. While she seemed calm about his behavior, even his six year old daughter Angelica was too, Patsy and Polly stared at him with wide eyes.

They were clearly shocked by Alexander.

"You have no idea." Alexander said, his voice muffled by the pillow. He turned his head, looking towards his wife with sad puppy dog eyes. "Do you think tonight we could–" He cut himself off when his eyes shifted a little and he noticed the two unfamiliar girls looking at him. Alexander hurried into a normal sitting position, gripping onto the pillow he had been smothering his face in. The man looked down realizing the pillow was still in his hands, and he tried to act casual as he threw it onto the floor behind him.

He forced a polite smile onto his face,"I was unaware we had company." He commented, looking to his wife, desperate for her to charm her way out of the embarrassing situation he had put himself in. Eliza nodded her head with a smile,"Yes, Alexander, I would like you to meet Mrs. Randolph and her sister." She said, gesturing towards Patsy.

The man sent a sweet smile towards Patsy, offering his hand. Patsy put down her cup of tea, taking the man's hand and shaking it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hamilton. Your wife speaks of nothing but the best of you." She said politely. Alexander smiled as his gaze went to Eliza. He sent her a gaze that could always make his wife helpless.

Sounds of music finally caught onto his ears. It was beautiful, soft and slow piano playing accompanied by a violin. Eliza noticed that her husband took notice and she smiled as she looked at Patsy. "Mrs. Randolph's youngest sister is the same age as Philip. They've been playing together for hours while we have sat here in conversation." She explained.

"The same age?" Alexander asked, looking at Eliza with raised brows. She nodded her head to his silent question that her husband had hid inside the one he asked, one question that he didn't have to voice out loud for Eliza to get. Alexander stood up, sending a nod to his guests and his daughter. "If you'll excuse me." He told them.

Philip chuckled as Lucy began to played wildly. They had settled on a soft melody to test the waters, but each child was getting more confident as they continued to play. Alexander appeared at the two, watching the two of them. He furrowed his brows to see that the girl was wearing his son's clothes, but he didn't decide to interrupt them to question it.

His son stopped playing when he realized his father was watching. "Daddy." Philip said, getting off the piano bench. He wanted to run up to his father and embrace him, but when he no longer heard violin playing he was reminded he wasn't alone. Philip looked to Lucy and gestured. "This is Lucy. Lucy Elizabeth. I mean, Miss Jefferson." He introduced.

Alexander's face dropped at the mention of the girl's name. "I'm sorry, what?" Alexander asked as he looked to the young girl. Philip opened his mouth to repeat his introduction to his new friend just as a noise interrupted every conversation that was taking place in the household.

"HAMILTON!" Thomas Jefferson yelled, throwing the door open to the man's house.


	4. Give It Time

**_Winter 1790_**

"Thomas, I don't think overreacting is the best way to go about this situation–" "Shut up, James!" Thomas didn't mean to yell at his friend, but Alexander had already made him angry by the way the man had taken him down today in the cabinet meeting. Thomas may have won the battle but it was only by default. Alexander put up quite the fight, one that Thomas hadn't counted on.

Eliza was quick to the entrance of her house. Looking up and down at the man who bursted into her home, she could immediately tell who it was. His daughters Patsy and Lucy looked just like him. "Mr. Jefferson, I kindly ask you not to lose your temper over this. I also kindly ask you to state your purpose in my household without yelling." The woman begged him.

He raised his brows at the woman who appeared in front of him. Thomas was almost surprised at how sincere she seemed. But her sincerity did manage to calm him down however, as the man did stop yelling and quietly answered her.

"My business, Mrs. Hamilton, is that I arrived at my temporary residence to find that I am missing my three children. I had to search the streets for them and you can imagine my shock and contempt to hear from some street urchin that I had to pay off that my daughters were seen with the wife of one, Alexander Hamilton!"

His response went from soft to loud as his temper began to get the best of him once more. The minute he had finished yelling at the woman, he felt hands on his throat. Alexander pushed him against the wall, his hands still firmly gripping Thomas's throat. "Don't you ever yell at my wife ever again, Jefferson!" Alexander shouted at the man.

"Alexander!" Eliza cried, grabbing his arm and ripping her husband off of the man. Alexander's fury raged on until he heard his wife's voice. When he looked back and realized she was crying, he stopped. He pulled her into a tight hug, noticing that she was crying because she was scared. "I'm sorry." He whispered into her ear, glaring as he looked back at Thomas.

Patsy walked in to find her father catching his breath. She furrowed her brows in anger to realize what a stir he had caused in the house of such a nice woman. "Papa–" "Do not speak to me, Martha!" He yelled at her. She froze at the sound of her real name, knowing he only used it when he was really angry with her. Polly appeared besides her older sister, her heart stopping at the look of anger in her father's eyes.

She knew they had broken the rules but she could've never expected her father to be so angry at them.

Thomas looked over at his daughters to realize one of them was missing. _Lucy_. His eyes flew to Alexander who was still comforting his wife. He had no time to think about that however, considering it had been a long time since Thomas had a wife to comfort.

"Where's my youngest? What have you done with my daughter, Hamilton?" He demanded. His anger was making him a dangerous man to deal with, and Alexander carefully pulled away from the embrace of Eliza to look at him. "No." Alexander stated. There was no way he would allowed that man to see that young girl, even if he was her father. Thomas was too angry now that Alexander feared he would take it out on a seven year old.

"No?" Thomas let out a bitter chuckle as he raised both brows. "No? No?!" He shouted at the man,"Where is my daughter?! Lucy?! LUCY?!" Thomas pushed past Alexander and his daughters as he began searching the house for his youngest. "Jefferson!" Alexander called, running after the man.

The two of them soon found themselves in the room where Philip and Lucy had been playing prior to her father's abrupt and loud entrance. Alexander tried to step in before Thomas, but the man bursted into the room before he could stop him. Thomas stopped at the sight before him.

As soon as the shouting had started, Philip had went to Lucy's side. But when the noise and movement started heading towards them, he grabbed onto her hand and directed the girl behind him. Thomas stared at the boy, who stood protecting his daughter, looking to him as if he was going to hurt his daughter.

He looked back to the older Hamilton to realize that Alexander had been thinking the same thing.

Instead of getting angry about that, he had to ask,"What is this?" Thomas inquired, gesturing to the man's son and his daughter. Alexander pursed his lips together before shrugging his shoulders a little. "They were just playing music together." He explained to him. Thomas raised a brow,"Music?" He asked, turning back to the children.

That's when he saw the piano and the violin.

His heart grew cold to realize they had been playing together just like him and his wife had. It was something he had always loved to do with her, and they would never play music together ever again. The bitter reminder of her absence in this world came over Thomas. He frowned as silence fell over the people around him. Each one of them desperate to know what his next actions were.

"Lucy, come here." Thomas said slowly. Lucy hesitated at first, but the girl decided to move forward towards her father. Philip still gripped onto her hand, not harshly as he was just concerned for her safety. She looked back at him and shook her head at his concern. He was confused by her dismissal, thinking that she was telling him she wasn't worth it. After finally winning the girl's approval, Philip believed that she was definitely worth it.

She gave him another look and Philip finally let go of her hand. Lucy sent him a weak smile before walking up to her father. Thomas took the young girl by her shoulders, turning her around and inspecting the clothing she was wearing that he could only guess belonged to the boy across from him.

"We're going home." Thomas said firmly, taking his hands off of Lucy as he turned her back around. Lucy frowned at his response, before shaking her head. "No!" She exclaimed at her father. Thomas was shocked by her response,"No?" He asked her, his thoughts only falling to the man who had told him 'no' much earlier.

The seven year old crossed her arms over her chest. She knew she had no reason to be scared of her father, despite his anger she knew that he would never raise a hand against her. Despite knowing this, the little girl should've known better than to further infuriate him.

"I want to stay here. With Philip." The child told him, moving back over and taking her new friend's hand. Philip smiled when he realized that she was choosing him. She had gone over to her father only out of politeness. She wasn't trying to leave him any time soon since the both of them had started to get along.

Alexander couldn't help but smile at the little girl's action, and it wasn't only because it made Thomas look inferior to a seven year old.

Thomas watched the two of them holdings hands and he couldn't help but think that if he let this to happen that one day the two of them would continue to hold hands as they grew older. He couldn't have that. He couldn't let the son of Alexander Hamilton have his hands all over his daughter.

She was the last child Martha had given him. Thomas would always love her. So much that he would never let anything he thought was bad happen to her.

And any Hamilton was bad for her.

"You're coming with me now, Lucy. _Now_. I don't know what gave you the idea that today you could disobey me, but you can't. Alright? That's not an option you have. You have no right to choose what you want right now. You listen to me. You follow my rules. If you want to have friends, you will only have friends with who I approve of. You don't get to say no to me." He said sternly.

"I don't get to say no to you? Just like Sally?"

The words that came out of her mouth made Thomas's blood run cold. He had tried his best to not think of Sally after she had lost the baby. It hurt her as much as it hurt him, but for the first time he was considering that perhaps it had hurt her more. Perhaps he had hurt her more.

He didn't finding surprising to hear her say that. While Patsy had always shown her dislike of the slave, and Polly only mildly liked her, Lucy was always the closest to her. She would always be the one who knew what Sally was thinking.

Without another word, he went over to the girl and picked her up. Lucy started screaming as she was thrown over father's shoulder. Philip began protesting as well, even having half the thought to attack the man for ripping her away from him. Alexander was pushed out of the way by Thomas as the man left the room with his screaming child over his shoulder.

Patsy's jaw dropped when her father returned carrying Lucy, who had began kicking and screaming. The seven year old pounded on his back with fists but her tiny hands did nothing to the man. He stared blankly as he looked at James. "Would you mind preparing the carriage?" He asked.

James knew better than to fight his friend on how to deal with children and nodded his head quickly. He opened the door and stepped outside. Polly knew better than to further anger her father and quickly followed the man outside. Patsy however didn't follow, only looking at her father in shock.

"Papa..." She began, yet trailed off when he met her gaze. "This is your fault. I hope you are prepared to accept the consequences." He told her, his voice gentle. Patsy hated the fact that his voice was gentle. She didn't want him to be gentle after everything that happened. He had no right to be.

"Yes, Papa." Patsy answered quietly, watching as her father carried out her sister who had gone from scream to sobbing loudly. Her eyes then turned to Eliza. "I'm so sorry." Patsy apologized. Eliza shook her head at the girl, taking the hand of the teenager who she knew was on the verge of crying.

"You have nothing to apologize about. Okay? None of this was your fault. No matter what your father may say, this was not your fault, Patsy." She tried to assure her, but the seventeen year old clearly didn't believe her. Patsy let go of the woman's hand with a lowered gaze. "Thank you, Mrs. Hamilton. You have been so kind to me and my sisters." Patsy told her softly before following her father out the door.

Alexander appeared as Eliza closed the door. She turned around to see him standing with their son by his side. Philip looked at her, his concern for Lucy still written in his eyes. "Is Lucy going to be okay?" He asked quietly. Eliza nodded her head a little before walking over to her son and pulling him into a tight hug.

"She's going to be just fine."

* * *

Nothing was fine. After that whole mess her father had ordered Patsy to put her sisters to bed. Polly went asleep painfully silent, and Lucy had cried herself to sleep, refusing to change out of Philip's clothes. As soon as they were both asleep, Patsy looked out the window and realized it was the middle of the night.

She exited their room, leaving the young girls asleep. Thomas was waiting for her down the hall when she left the room, and she walked quietly towards them. None of them spoke a word to each other until Patsy was close enough so if Thomas did say something, he wouldn't wake the sleeping children.

"You're going back to your husband, Patsy." He told her quietly. She could tell that there was no question about it, rather a requirement she had to meet. Patsy wasn't upset to go back to Tom, but she was upset to go back to him like this. "Papa, I don't think–" "You know what she said to me?"

Patsy was confused when he changed the subject. Maybe it just proved how much of, or lack of rather, an option she had over her banishment. She raised both brows as she put her hands behind her back, nervously clasping her hands together. "What are you talking about, Papa?" She asked carefully.

Thomas looked over at her before looking away again. "I told Lucy that she couldn't say no to me, and she said that I wanted her to be just like Sally." He commented, almost bitterly as he said the words. Patsy wasn't surprised that her sister had made the assumption, in fact it was an assumption that Patsy had made herself. The seventeen year old suddenly frowned when she realized exactly when she had made that assumption.

It was the night that she had confronted Sally about the relationship she had with her father. Lucy was no older than she was now when she must've overheard that.

"I do not want to talk about Sally." Patsy admitted, almost stiff as she responded. Thomas looked back at his daughter, upset that she wasn't willing to discuss this with him. She was always the person he could trust to confide in if he chose to confide in anyone at all. "You never want to talk about Sally." He pointed out.

"Only because I heard what you promised to Mother all those years ago." The truth finally came out for the girl, as she never ever had told him that she had been outside the nursery when he was with Martha. He had told Patsy to stay where she was but she couldn't just stay when she knew something was wrong with her mother.

When Thomas realized what she was talking about, he frowned in realization. "You–" He began, but he couldn't find a response. "I had to, Papa, she was dying and I was worried–" "You had no right." He finally shot back at her, pointing his finger towards her.

Patsy was shocked to hear his words. How could he think _he_ had any right to say that?

"No right? She might have been the woman you loved, but she was my mother." She said before shaking her head and looking down at her feet. "I don't want to fight with you anymore. I'm going back to Tom not because you are sending me away for disobeying for you but because he's the only man who has ever treated me well." Patsy turned away.

" _Give it time_." Thomas spoke, getting his daughter to pause in her steps. She didn't turn around to look at him, so Thomas just eyed her with a glare. "He'll disappoint you one day." His words made a tear slip down her cheek.

She ran quickly back to her sisters's room without looking back. She still didn't want to wake them, so instead she walked in quietly and pressed a kiss on both of their heads. When she reached Polly however and pressed her lips to the girl's hair, the girl rolled over and looked up at her. Patsy smiled small to realize that she was still awake.

"Did you go to sleep at all?" She asked the eleven year old. Polly shook her head slowly, taking her own pale hand into her sister's hand. "You should go back to Tom. It's the right thing to do. I'm sorry." She whispered, knowing better than to wake their sister after Lucy had cried so much when she was awake.

Her older sister let another tear slip down her cheek. "No, I'm sorry." Patsy whispered back. Polly sat up and pulled her into a tight hug. She gently placed a hand on the girl's curls, knowing that this might be the last time she would be with Patsy in a long time. She knew that when her sister was married, she was losing the chance to see her everyday. It made Polly so upset at first, that the only thing that made her feel better was being her sister's maid of honor at the wedding.

"Can you do me a favor?" Polly suddenly asked as she began to pull away. Patsy met her younger sister's eyes and nodded her head. "Of course, Polly. Anything." She told her. Polly smiled as she threw the covers off of her. The eleven year old stood up and walked over to a table where some of things were unpacked. Most of her clothing was still packed up, but the thing she was looking for wasn't.

Polly picked up a letter before returning to her sister. "I want you to stop at Eppington before returning home." She requested, handing the letter to her older sister. Patsy inspected the letter, carefully unfolding it and looking to her sister for the approval before opening it. When she saw to whom the letter was addressed, she understood.

"John is _my_ age, Polly. You are barely twelve years old yet." She pointed out. Polly frowned, recalling the moment when her sister had apparently told her 'anything'. Patsy soon caught onto that and flushed in embarrassment when she realized she was going against her word. "I'm not sure he'll want a love letter." Patsy tried.

She was replied with a light whack on the arm by the eleven year old. "It isn't a love letter!" Polly shouted in a whisper,"I just missed him and wanted to tell him how I felt." She defended. Patsy raised a brow, looking back down at the words her sister had written. "By telling you love him?" Patsy asked.

The girl shook her head at her,"Nowhere in that letter says the words 'I love you'." Polly pointed out. She was right about that, but it wasn't the point.

"It doesn't technically, but if I could tell he will definitely be able to tell." Patsy said, almost making her sister worry about what she had written down. When the seventeen year old realized this, she quickly shook her head and folded the letter back up gently. "Never mind, I'll do it. Aunt Elizabeth would be happy to see me anyways... and he would like to hear from you. He should be so lucky." Patsy finally agreed.

Polly smiled at her sister, giving her one more tight squeeze. "Thank you, Patsy." She whispered to her sister. Patsy nodded her head a little before gesturing for the girl to return to bed. Polly practically skipped towards her bed, tucking herself in with a wide smile on her face.

She smiled at her younger sister before looking down at the letter. Perhaps after everything going wrong that day, she could do something that's right.

* * *

 _ **Spring 1790**_

"I think we should host a dinner for Mr. Jefferson." The words took Alexander by surprise, and the mention of his foe was enough to pull the man away from his work. He had been working non-stop trying to find a solution to the problems the man his wife mentioned kept creating for him. Alexander put down his quill, trying not to outright deny his wife's request at first.

He really did try.

Alexander's efforts soon failed as he found himself replying,"No." At least that was better than his original responses, which included: _Are you out of your mind? Who are you and what have you done with my lovely wife? Do you honestly think I would ever let that Virginian bastard back into my home?_

Eliza frowned at his rejection to her idea. She was still convinced that social gatherings brought out the best in people and that if her husband sat down with the man in a controlled environment he wouldn't rub him the wrong way anymore. They just wouldn't talk about politics. Or family. Or the incident. _Especially_ not the incident.

Maybe she needed to go over a safe topic list for dinner conversation.

"I happen to think that this is a wonderful idea. I will prepare lovely dinner for you and Mr. Jefferson, and you could finally take a break from all of this work." Eliza said, moving behind her husband and placing both hands on his shoulders. She leaned her head down with a smile, hoping that it he was finding it hard to say no to her now. Alexander let out a small sigh as he looked at her, before nodding his head with a small smile. "You win." He said, dismissing her a little.

Despite being dismissed, Eliza wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him from behind. Alexander was surprised at how tight her grip was. She surprised him again when she pulled him into a quick kiss, too short for his satisfaction. Eliza grinned down at her husband as she finally freed him when she let go and took a step back. "You won't regret this, I promise you." She said, pointing her finger at him and chuckling playfully.

She was bouncing on her way out of his office, but before she could leave through the door Alexander stopped her. "Eliza?" He asked, watching his wife turn around and give him a questioning look. "Just us three at the dinner. I don't want to involve any of the children, especially Philip since the last time Jefferson was in our house. None of his children either. I rather not make a scene." He requested.

A little part of her hopefulness died, but Alexander didn't notice it as Eliza nodded her head at him.

When the woman left the office, she found a little boy waiting for her. Philip had been pacing the floor ever since his mother had entered his father's office to talk. He chewed at his nails a little, stopping when he noticed his mother looking at him. He put his hands behind his bak, trying to play it cool and not like he was nervous. He couldn't show he was nervous.

That would mean he cared.

And he did really care, but he didn't want his mother to see that.

"How did it go?" Philip asked normally, shifting the weight behind his feet from his toes to his heels over and over again. His actions had ticked off Eliza that the boy was clearly trying to suppress nerves but she didn't say anything. The woman shrugged her shoulders a little,"He said yes, but he's refused the presence of any child." She explained.

Philip's heart dropped at her words when he realized what this meant. "So I won't get to see her?" He asked gently, showing the disappointment in his voice. Eliza couldn't stand to see him so upset, only wondering what her little boy must've been thinking when he saw his friend being carried out by her father kicking and screaming. Eliza knew she wasn't happy about it herself, especially when she received a letter from Patsy explaining that the girl had returned to her husband back in Virginia immediately following the incident.

She racked her brain for any solution to this, knowing that it would be better if she could avoid having the feud between her husband and his colleague come between their children. But working around them would be hard, not to mention she would be lying to husband. Would Alexander be mad at her if she did this?

The question didn't matter as she looked at Philip. She loved her husband, but she loved her son too. Right now what Alexander didn't know couldn't hurt him, and maybe she could stop Philip's hurting.

"I have an idea, but you'll need to trust me on this. And never mention this to your father. I know you love him, but he will not approve of infuriating the man causing him so much trouble at work. Do you understand?" Eliza said quietly to her son, taking him by the hand and leading him away from her husband's office in case Alexander could overhear them.

He was a little confused by her words, but nodded his head a little. "I understand." He replied, using the same soft tone his mother had been using. Eliza smiled when he complied. She nodded her head as she paused when they reached the end of the hallway.

"Now your father said that Lucy was not allowed at the dinner. But you know who also wasn't allowed? You. Which means that no one will know of your absence but me." She told him with a smile. Philip didn't get it at first but as soon as he understood, a smile made its way onto his face as well.

* * *

Polly squealed as she opened the letter. Thomas raised a brow at his younger daughter, eying the letter. " _What_? You have your mail, I have mine." She said, moving to the table and picking up the second unopened letter she had received. Thomas watched his daughter curiously as the reminder that Polly was getting older crossed his mind. It would only be a matter of time before she was off married like her older sister.

Away from him.

"I have one letter. You have _two_. If the first one has made a young respectable lady such as yourself lose her mind, I'm considering taking away the second one." He commented, having half the mind to actually reach over and snatch the letters from her hands. If anyone was writing to his daughters he wanted to know.

She looked at her father, looking to his hands. Not trusting him to contain his curiosity, the girl stood up with both letters in her hands. "The one I have been reading if you must know is from Aunt Elizabeth's son, John. And the second one is from..." Polly trailed off as she opened the letter. Her eyes went a little wide as her eyes scanned the page, looking over to the letter her father had been reading.

"Patsy." The girl lied quickly, deciding to flee before her father could doubt her. "As you see I will be very busy so do not bother me!" Polly exclaimed as she pressed a kiss to Thomas's cheek before disappearing out of the room. The man sat in confusion to his daughter's action, but if it was only letters from her cousin and her sister, he decided not to worry.

The eleven year old rushed up the stairs too fast, and quickly tripped which alerted her younger sister. Lucy appeared at the top of the stairs, staring down at Polly who was hugging the wood gently with a mumbled 'ow'. "Are you alright?" She asked carefully. Polly's eyes trailed up to see Lucy.

She bounced back onto her feet without another thought, rushing up and taking the young girl by the hand before whisking them off to their room. Polly threw the door open and pushed her younger sister inside before closing the door gently. She looked back at Lucy with a grin.

Lucy was confused by her actions however, until letters were thrusted into her face. "I have the best news!" Polly exclaimed. Her younger sisters eyed the letters in her hands before plucking one. Lucy's eyes scanned over the page before she frowned over at her sister.

"Why is your name Maria?" She questioned her sister. Polly frowned when she realized what letter Lucy had taken from her, ripping it out of the girl's hands. "Maria is a very popular name in the south. All girls named Mary like to change it to that... and it's very... mature." Polly defended herself.

Her sister crossed her arms over her chest. "Your name is Polly." She said. Polly frowned as she shook her head at Lucy,"No. My name has never been Polly. My name is Mary. Mama and Papa starting calling me Polly the Parrot when I was young and trying to learn how to speak. All I did for the first few months was repeat the things they said to me. Polly has become a tired nickname after a decade and I wanted a change. So... Maria. It's very grown up." She said, straightening her posture.

Lucy rolled her eyes at her sister,"Whatever. I'm still going to call you Polly. You just want to sound grown up because you're in love with John who's the same age as Patsy." She pointed out. Polly frowned at her sister as a blush came upon her cheeks.

"I am not in love with John!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Well– you're in love with Philip Hamilton!"

A gasp left the seven year old her sister shouted at her. "Philip? I only met him once!" Lucy reminded her older sister. The older girl stuck up her chin, placing her hands on her waist. "If you continue this foolish nonsense that I am in love with a boy who's been nothing but my best friend, than I will do the same to you." Polly warned her.

Seeing no end in sight if she continued down that lane, Lucy let out a sigh before holding out her hand. "There's two letters, I presume the other one is for me considering you don't want me to know anything about John. It's not like I was his friend either." She said.

Polly raised a brow. "His friend? You were a menace." Polly corrected. She received a small glare from the child, reminding her of the times Lucy began pulling her hair whenever she was crossed. Instead of tempting the worst temper she ever knew, Polly handed her the other letter.

Lucy moved to sit down on her bed, reading over the letter.

 _Dear Miss Polly Jefferson,_

 _I have invited your father over for dinner. I hope you will understand that under my husband's request, I neglected to invite the likes of you and your sister and for that I apologize. My husband does not want to risk causing any more harm to you or your family. Which is why I hold this dinner as a peace offering, and hopefully this dinner could serve two purposes rather than one._

 _My son has been nothing but a wreck filled with guilt and concern over your younger sister. He desperately wishes to see her again and have the time to apologize without my husband or your father interfering. I share in his desire to find closure with the young Miss Jefferson, and I hope that you share this when it comes to your younger sister._

 _Which is why I am asking you that the night of the dinner, after your father has left, to prepare your sister for Philip's arrival. If you allow my son to come over and talk to your daughter, he will arrive no later than half an hour from your father's departure. I shall leave him in the care of my sister, Mrs. Van Rensselaer, who will be responsible for dropping him off after your father leaves and picking him up before your father returns._

 _I urge you to discuss this matter with your sister to see what she thinks. Please write back immediately as I know my son will greatly appreciate hearing from her._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Elizabeth Hamilton._

She looked back up at her sister with both brows raised. "I get to see Philip?" She asked, trying to contain a smile she could hardly hold back. Polly smiled down at her sister, nodding her head,"Yes, you get to see him. Of course I'll have to write back saying that you have agreed–" She was cut off by Lucy's squeals of excitement, ones that only reminded her of her same reaction when she read John's letter.

* * *

The night finally came. The girls had to wait until their father had left to get ready. The minute the front door was shut, Polly sprung into action. She ran into the kitchen where the slave, James Hemings, was bound to be. Since slavery wasn't allowed in the free states, her father paid him wages. He had been doing such a thing since France, and James knew that accompanying him to free states meant he would be continued to get paid. Besides it's not like Thomas could find a better chef, since he had specifically paid for James to be trained in French cuisine.

"Mr. Hemings!" Polly exclaimed, getting the attention of the twenty-five year old chef. James jumped at the sheer shrillness of the girl's voice. He didn't associate her tone with demanding or harsh, she was just loud and excited. He raised a brow at the young girl. "Yes, Miss Jefferson?" He questioned her with a raised brow.

Polly grinned up at him, hands tucked behind her back. "There's been a change of plans for dinner, Mr. Hemings. We shall be receiving a guest tonight and require an extra meal to be made." She explained to him. He narrowed his eyes at her,"Your father told me of no such guest." James commented. Polly moved her hands from behind her back, revealing a small pouch of money. "And you won't tell my father of such guest either." She said.

He knew he should accept the money. As a slave he would never have ever been paid for his work if it had not been for him staying in places where slavery did not exist. Going back to Monticello just reminded him of that, so not a moment passed before he joined his master in New York. He knew he could continue to earn money, because he spent so much time learning French cuisine just to prepare it for Thomas. He was needed in this household.

And with that need, he could use it to get money. Still, he preferred true freedom over this false sense of it. James had a desperate wish to stay in France where he could've been free, but his mind went to Sally. She was his little sister, completely defenseless to the affection of an older man.

There was no way on Earth he could've denied his love for his sister, freedom or not.

"May I ask who is your guest?" James asked, suddenly curious to what secret the girl was hiding. Polly debated whether on telling him the full truth, but decided the best option was not to give him too much information. "Lucy has a friend and Papa won't let them see each other. Please, Mr. Hemings, they have to see each other. She won't be happy until she does." She pleaded.

James knew he couldn't deny that. His master's youngest daughter had been in quite the down mood as of late. He finally nodded his head a little, taking the pouch of money from the girl. "Alright, Miss Jefferson, you have my word." He assured her. Polly clapped her hands excitedly,"Thank you!" She said, and he smiled as he realized she cared about her sister in the same way he cared about his.

* * *

Eliza smiled at the knock at the door. Thomas had finally made it, and she didn't waste a moment before answering the door. "Mr. Jefferson, thank you for accepting my invitation. We are so pleased that you have graced our home with your presence tonight." The woman said politely, ever the image of the perfect hostess. Alexander appeared by his wife's side, less than eager to greet the guest at their door.

His eyes went wide at the sight of his foe standing in the doorway. Thomas smirked smugly as he met Alexander's gaze, and pushed the door further opened. He leaned his elbow on the frame, casually tucking one leg behind the other and touching the toes of one foot onto the ground. Thomas was practically posing the outfit he had chose for the dinner. A rather nice shade of blue was his coat, shiny and expensive fabric. What got to Alexander was the man's pants however.

Thomas was wearing bright red trousers.

"I'm simply more than thrilled to see what dinner you have in store, Mrs. Hamilton. Though I'm certain that it will be nothing compared to the cuisine I've experienced in France. Tell me have you ever enjoyed French cuisine? I promise you it's as enjoyable as the people there, you simply must come by my house for dinner after this. My cook, James, is the only one to do French cuisine justice. You look absolutely divine by the way, Mrs. Hamilton." Thomas began with a charming smile, offering his arm to the woman. Alexander was shocked to see when Eliza took the other man's arm with a radiant smile.

Alexander watched as she led Thomas to the dining room, doing everything he could not to start yelling at the man's passive aggressive comments. He wondered if the entire dinner were to be like this, and but part of him already knew it definitely would be.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, my favorite thing of this chapter has to be Thomas's dinner outfit which is HISTORICALLY ACCURATE YOU GUYS! I _promise_ you this. Okay? I bought the biography by Ron Chernow because I read on Eliza's wikipedia page that she hosted a dinner for Jefferson but it left it at that and I've been meaning to read Alexander's bio book so I read it and looked up the reference. It literally said what Thomas wore! I practically screamed when I saw it!**

 **Can you imagine? The beautiful Daveed Diggs wearing a fancy blue coat and FUCKING FLAMING HOT RED PANTS.**

 **Anyways the cute and not so cute dinner scenes next chapter! Love to you all, babes!**


	5. Be Our Guest

_**Spring 1790**_

"Philip, you have nothing to be nervous about." Peggy reminded her nephew as they stood outside the door to Mr. Jefferson's house. The young boy nodded his head a little, but his hands were still shaking. Him and his aunt had waited outside in the carriage until Thomas had entered the house. After that, they left straight away towards the man's address.

He couldn't help but be nervous, thinking that no matter how well his mother and aunt had orchestrated this reunion that his friend's father would show up again and take her away from him. Philip hated when the girl was carried out by her furious father, her screams doing nothing to stop him.

The boy desperately hoped he would never have to see something like that again.

Peggy knocked gently on the door, and not a minute later was the door thrown open by an overexcited eleven year old girl. Polly tried to keep her cool but no amount of effort could ever take that huge grin off her face. The woman was surprised to be met with such a tiny child when the door opened. "Miss Jefferson, I presume. Where's your mother?" She asked the girl.

She knew the woman didn't intend it, but Polly's face fell at the woman's words. It was the only thing on Earth which could've brought down her spirits. The mention of her mother didn't come lightly to Polly, even if it had been almost eight years since Martha's death.

"I'm afraid, Mrs. Van Rensselaer, that I am the lady of the house, and host for tonight." She said politely, despite the fact she was no longer smiling. It was only natural that the position came to her since her father had no wife and had no intention of taking another, and her older sister was now married and ran a different household.

Peggy suddenly understood why the little girl was answering the door, and frowned sadly at her. "Of course, Miss Jefferson." She bowed her head at the young girl to try and show respect for her after the mistake she had made. Peggy then looked to her nephew, placing both hands on his shoulders and leaning in to whisper. "You be good."

Her nephew nodded his head a little, smirking a little at the stern voice she used. Peggy was an absolute angel to her young children and it didn't stop there. She was determined to be a great aunt from the moment Philip was born, showing him the same kindness his mother had always given him. If anything, Peggy was more kind than his mother. At least Eliza was capable of disciplining him due to her experience dealing with his father. Peggy happened to be a little bit of a pushover. But luckily Philip never took her for granted.

"Please come on in, Philip, be our guest. You know, I have someone who's very excited to see you." Polly offered him her arm, and he took it with a smile on his face to think that Lucy was waiting for him. He hoped she was better. He hoped she was okay after the last time he saw her. But– what if she wasn't okay?

What if she was _mad_ at him?

Philip did arrive with the intention of apologizing for everything that went down, but he was starting to get seriously worried. Once the thought entered his head, it constantly picked at him. Polly closed the door after his aunt bid him a goodnight. As he walked in, the boy was suddenly convinced that Lucy would be mad at him.

She would try and kill him again. She was mad with him, and she definitely had every right to be, so why shouldn't she try to hurt him?

The boy continued to pick apart at everything he had done that could've made her mad. He angered her father. He pushed her into the snow. He ruined her dress. He had slapped her in the face, while it was in self defense, he had still done it. She would never forgive him for any of that. Philip was stupid to think she would. _What was he doing here?_ This was a completely useless plan and she probably never wanted to see him again.

All his thoughts were cut off suddenly.

He had been so wrapped up in his own head that he hadn't even notice that Polly lead him to the dining room, and had let go of his arm.

The minute that Philip had appeared at door, Lucy couldn't contain how much she had wanted to see him. Without a second thought she ran over to him and threw herself into his arms.

It wasn't until he felt the girl's arms around his neck that his thoughts had stopped. He smiled when he realized she wasn't angry with him, and wrapped his arms around her torso tightly. Polly smiled as she watched the two embrace. This was something she wouldn't let her father get between of, for she knew she could never let it. She was reminded of words her older sister once spoke to her. At an age where Polly was only five, but somehow they were able to stick with her.

Lucy was their mother's last gift. She had to protect her, no matter what.

"I'll leave you to it then." Polly said, the two children still embracing as she bid them farewell. She moved to leave the dining room, nearly bumping into the cook while she was at it. "Sorry, Mr. Hemings." The eleven year old apologized for nearly knocking James to the ground. He shook his head, balancing the plates in his hands. "No worries. Your dinner is waiting for you in your room, as requested, Miss Jefferson." He told her. Polly smiled and nodded her head,"Thank you, Mr. Hemings."

She left the dining room as James went to place food down at the table settings he had set up. He really was only expecting two to dine in this room that night, and was thankful that Polly had no intentions of joining the two and making him set up another place setting. It was just easier that way.

The seven year old let go of the boy when she realized she had probably been hugging him too longer. Lucy pulled away, looking to James. "Thank you, James." She told him as he nodded his head at her with a smile before returning to the kitchen.

Philip looked to the table, impressed that she had gone to such lengths to invite him to such a proper dinner. Honestly he would've been satisfied with just receiving that hug from her. "You didn't have to make me food. I would've been fine just talking to you." He admitted.

"If we're being honest, I would've been fine just talking to you too. However, Polly insisted, and I didn't want to say no... besides, I think I will enjoy this." She admitted. Philip couldn't help but smile at her words. "I think I will enjoy this too." He told her gently.

* * *

"The unrest in French is no surprise, but I honestly find it so endearing to see such brave citizens stand up to the monarchs that keep them oppressed. The people there are truly taking the matters of their country into their own hands–" Thomas was cut off by an unpleasant scoff from the man who sat across from him. Eliza sent a glare towards her husband, to which she was only met with an innocent shrug of the shoulders.

Alexander couldn't help it if he had enough of Thomas's undying love for France. It was honestly starting to get on the man's last nerve. "I heard that the people are rioting, Jefferson, if that's what you mean by 'taking the matters of their country into their own hands'." Alexander commented, stuffing a fork full of food halfway through his sentence.

His wife was already mad at him but of course Alexander had to make matters worse by challenging Thomas and forgetting his own table manners. Eliza looked at him as she gripped onto her fork tightly, wondering what she ever did to deserve such a disrespectful husband.

"Did people not riot when we were working towards our freedom, Hamilton?" Thomas raised his brow at the other man. His enemy fumed at the quick response, and Alexander opened his mouth again to retort back to him. "Alexander!" Eliza couldn't help but call out his name, knowing full well what her husband wanted to do.

If only Alexander could ever listen to his wife. "There's a difference between tossing some tea into a harbor and storming the Bastille." He pointed out. Thomas wasn't less than eager to accept the man's challenge. "You think you because you fought in the war for our nation that you're above the fight for freedom in France, do you, sir?" Thomas questioned him.

Eliza dropped her fork onto her plate, letting it clattering as she stuffed her face into her hands.

"As a man who actually fought against the British in a war when you were lounging around in your estate doing whatever you pleased after you dropped off that declaration, yes! I do think I am above it!" Alexander yelled back, slamming his hands down on the table and standing up.

Thomas narrowed his eyes and mirrored the other man, slamming his hands down on the table and standing up as well. "Your friend, the Marquis de Lafayette, told me nothing of your loyalty towards him during the Revolutionary War and now what? I find that you lied to your comrade in arms when you once told him you would stand by his side? He's trying to free his people now, Alexander, and what are you doing? Throwing your silly little debt plan at Congress?" Thomas asked him angrily.

Alexander's fury skyrocketed when the man mentioned someone who had been so close to him during the war, a man who he would not hesitate to call his friend even to this day. "You have no right to throw that into my face! I won't listen to a man who probably raises his hand not only to his slaves but to his own daughter!" He shouted the assumption and Eliza nearly fell back in her chair when she realized her husband was mentioning the incident.

She immediately stood up, hoping she could defuse the situation before it got out of hand. "I'll go get dessert!" She shouted, reaching for the men's plates even though they were only halfway through eating it. Thomas and Alexander both sat back down in their chairs slowly as Eliza went around collecting their plates.

It had gotten them to shut up. That's all that mattered.

The woman looked over the two of them who had now become almost too quiet. She shook her head a little as she carried the plates out of the dining room to the kitchen where she had dessert prepared. As soon as she entered the kitchen, that's when she heard it.

"Hamilton, you have no right!"

It was going to be a long night, which might be good for Philip, but it definitely wasn't for Eliza.

* * *

Philip and Lucy had abandoned the formal dining room when they had hit dessert. Luckily for James, the dessert he picked to make for them didn't exactly need a plate so when Lucy appeared in the kitchen wondering if they could relocate, it was easy enough to wrap it up for her.

"Does your sister know you're going outside?" James asked her, handing her the wrapped dessert with a raised brow. Lucy shook her head a little,"But it's not like we're going to the park this late at night. We'll just be out back." She explained. He didn't think it was a big deal to let her out if she was only going to be out back, so he nodded his head. Lucy grinned as she looked down at the wrapped dessert before skipping out of the kitchen.

She appeared back in the dining room, holding up the wrapped dessert with a grin on her face. "He said yes!" She shouted triumphantly. Philip chuckled at her antics before excusing himself from the table. The boy moved around the table and offered the girl his arm. "Let's go see the stars then."

The two made their way to the back of the house, opening the door before stepping out to the small backyard of the house. It was no more than a simple patch of grass but Polly and Lucy usually found themselves content to spend the average spring day out there. It was undeniable cooler at night though.

Lucy lowered herself to the ground, smoothing down her dress as she sat down. Philip joined her on the grass. They looked up to the night sky where a few stars were visible to them. She watched as her playmate laid back on the ground, and Lucy giggled before joining him on the grass.

It got colder when she laid on the grass, cold enough for Philip to notice. He tugged on her arm until she shifted closer to him. He smiled at the other girl as she got closer, his hazel eyes studying the features of her face. "What dessert do you have for us?" Philip asked, remembering she had brought dessert out with them.

"One of my favorites. James always makes them for me." She mentioned, lifting her head to carefully unwrap the dessert that her cook had made. She laid her head back down on the ground and gestured to her stomach for him to grab one. Philip laughed at he lifted his arm and plucked a macaron from its resting place on top of her.

He put the cookie between his teeth, taking a small bite which was a mistake as it crumbled in a perfect yet still annoying way around his mouth. It was too many sweet things for the boy to handle. Up in the sky there was the stars. Besides him laid his friend. And in his mouth laid an amazing dessert he had never eaten before.

She chuckled at the look in his eyes as he took a bite. "I had the same reaction too." She whispered, picking up a macaron and taking a bite as well. They were quiet for the next few moments as they laid back watching the night sky, and the only occasional sound was them enjoying the French dessert.

They laid in near silence until Philip broke it.

"Do you think we'll see each other again after this?" He couldn't help but ask it. The boy was well aware that it had been a perfect night so far, and they had managed to get away with it. But he couldn't help but think that her father was going to come home eventually and he would be gone. Philip knew his father. Alexander wouldn't be inviting him back for any dinner parties again.

And if his father didn't, how else would he see Lucy?

Lucy frowned when she realized he was right to ask that question. It saddened her to think that the boy would most likely always be out of her reach. She would never get good moments like this with him every day, maybe not for a long time.

"Do you want to see me again?" She asked quietly. Philip looked over at her, tearing his gaze from the stars to her eyes. She followed in suit, turning her head towards him and meeting his eyes. "What do you mean by that?" He questioned carefully, furrowing his brows a little.

"I mean... do you still want to be my friend?" Lucy admitted, fearing his answer would be 'no' even if she could understand why he wouldn't want to. After all, it's not like their fathers were jumping at the change for them to arrange a playdate where they could play music together.

Philip's eyes softened as he nodded his head a little. A small smile made its way onto her face, but it was still sad. He noticed this and reached over and took her hand. "Do you still want to be mine?" He asked. Lucy was surprised he asked her the same thing, but she nodded her head a little as well. "Then can we promise to not let them get between us?" Philip suggested.

She considered his offer before nodding her back at him. "I promise." Lucy answered. Philip smiled at her,"I promise." He said back. He gave her hand a light squeeze, before returning his gaze to the stars.

* * *

Eliza stood up from the table. They had long ago finished dessert and luckily she was able to save the conversation by steering it into a different direction. Unfortunately the new peace that had settled into the dinner wouldn't make the two grown men get along, who still clearly didn't like each other. But luckily, Thomas was starting to like Eliza.

"Where are you going?" Alexander asked, reaching over and taking his wife's hands. Eliza froze when he touched her, knowing this would be a moment where she had to lie to him. "I was just going to excuse myself to check on the children. None of you mind, do you?" She asked, her voice a little uneasy.

Thomas shook his head,"Of course not, Betsey, take all the time you need." He told her sweetly. Alexander was starting to hate the way his enemy was acting so friendly with his wife, even though he knew Eliza could win over anyone. He just didn't want her to be friends with _him_.

Not wanting to be left alone with Thomas, and risk another fight, Alexander still held onto her hand tightly. "You can check on the children after Mr. Jefferson leaves. It's not like they're not in their beds." He suggested, but it sounded more like he wasn't giving her an option.

 _Oh no_. The whole reason Eliza wanted to get out of there was so she could go outside to tell Peggy to go and pick up Philip. The dinner was finally winding down to a finish and it was only a matter of time until Thomas left for his home.

She started to internally panic when she realized there was no way she could say no to her husband without revealing her secret plan to him and a man who was starting to like her. Eliza slowly lowered back into her seat as Thomas stood up. "No, allow me to excuse myself. I've probably overstayed my welcome tonight and I should be home to check on my little ones. It was a lovely night, Betsey, you've outdone yourself." He smiled towards Eliza before shifting his gaze to Alexander.

His smile dropped when he reached Alexander. "Hamilton." Thomas muttered coldly before bowing his head. Eliza and Alexander both stood up at the same time, but she was more rushed. She practically raced to take the man's arm. "Allow me." Eliza said quickly, leading him towards the front door.

Alexander furrowed his brows at her behavior, but didn't think more of it. She led Thomas towards the front door, opening it for the man and letting him outside. Thomas walked into the cool night and called his carriage over, oblivious to the carriage across the street that was just waiting. "Thank you for the dinner, Mrs. Hamilton." Thomas said, going back to formalities as he moved to enter the carriage.

She watched as he settled himself in before the driver took off down the road. Across the street, Peggy had taken notice to the man's departure and stuck her head out the window. She looked at her sister, completely confused and wide-eyed. Eliza frowned at her sister, about to tell her to go when a voice behind her startled her.

"Eliza-" "Alexander!" She yelped, noticing his eyes were on her and not on Peggy who was clearly visible across the street. Before he could get the chance to see her, Eliza thought quickly on her feet and grabbed her husband by the collar of his coat. She crashed her lips onto his, her eyes remaining open as he closed his and wrapped an arm around her waist. He was surprised but he would never deny her lips.

Peggy's jaw dropped when she realized what her sister was doing. Eliza's eyes shifted to her sister and she removed one hand from her husband and started to signal for her to go. Peggy nodded her head, sitting back in the carriage. "Go!" She called to her driver, who had fallen asleep in the time they got there. Peggy panicked a little when the carriage didn't take off immediately. "GO!" She yelled.

The driver stumbled awake at her command, taking the reins before taking off down the street. As soon as Peggy's carriage took off, Eliza pulled away from the kiss with a sigh of relief. Alexander was still confused by the kiss but now a smug smirk was written on his features.

"What was that for?" He asked lowly, moving his hands to gently rub up and down her arms. Eliza glared at him before shaking her head. "No. Don't think I'm not mad at you for being so rude tonight." She told him, poking his chest harshly.

Convinced that the kiss meant she forgave him, Alexander chuckled a little before pressing his lips to her temple. "I'm sorry." He apologized with soft eyes. Eliza sighed a little before nodding her head a little, knowing it was better to forgive him for something he didn't have control of. Alexander had to fight anyone who rubbed him wrong. At least Thomas was taking a liking to her.

Alexander turned his head, looking inside their house. "Let's go check on the children, yes? Together." He offered. Normally Eliza would've jumped at this chance, because her husband spent most of his time in his office without barely coming out. She longed for the two of them to check on their sleeping children together, by each other's sides.

But she couldn't do that. Not when she knew there was a certain child of her missing from their bed. "How about you help me clean up?" She asked, taking his hand and leading him back inside.

* * *

"Girls?" Polly froze at the sound of her father's voice. He wasn't supposed to be home. Philip's aunt hadn't come for him yet. She rushed down the stairs immediately, seeing Thomas enter their the doorway. "Papa!" She yelled as he closed the door.

Thomas was surprised when he turned around, as his eleven year old daughter rushed towards him. She crashed into him, nearly taking him down as she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. "And here I was thinking I hadn't been gone for too long." He chuckled a little. The man stayed still, gently patting her back with his hand as she was squeezing his arms down.

He stayed there for a bit until Thomas realized the hug was lasting too long. "Polly, dear, do you think you could let me go?" He asked. "Never!" Polly exclaimed, gripping onto him tighter. Her new grip made him cringe as it was rather painful and suffocating.

James heard them from the kitchen, appearing in the entrance to see Polly gripping onto her father. This didn't make sense. Lucy and Philip were still outside. His master was not supposed to be home to find the guest James had been paid to keep secret.

"Ah, Mr. Hemings do you think you could help tear my daughter away from me?" Thomas asked when he noticed the cook near. James considered his options, before Polly turned her head around to look at him with pleading eyes. There wasn't options, only one option. He knew he had to do it for her.

The cook cleared his throat,"Actually I'm very busy so I'll be..." James gestured slightly to the kitchen before rushing out. Thomas frowned as the young man left him to be squeezed to death by Polly.

Philip and Lucy had fallen asleep on the grass. When James found them, he was surprised to see the children laying together. Philip had an arm wrapped around the little girl, clearly keeping her warm. It was a sweet sight, but one that had to be cut short. "Wake up. Wake up! Your father is here and I know he cannot see your friend. Come on, get up." He woke up the sleeping children, moving to help Lucy onto her feet.

Lucy was a little confused at first, wiping the sleep out of her eyes. Realization washed over her when she looked at James however, and the girl looked back at Philip with wide eyes. "We have to get you out of here!" She exclaimed, taking the boy's hand before looking to her cook. She needed his help, desperately. It was apparent.

She was terrified of her father losing his mind like he had done before. He would be so angry if he found Philip here, even more angry at the deceit Polly and her had accomplished. As he looked at the scared young girl, James' eyes shifted to the young boy to notice he looked just as scared as she did. He couldn't let them get caught.

"Follow me."

Outside the house, Peggy's carriage was arriving in the front. The woman panicked to see that Thomas's carriage was already there. She stepped out of the carriage, throwing the door open in the process. Peggy ran across the street to the front door of the man's house, knocking violently as an idea popped into her head.

Thomas opened the door, finally pushing his daughter off of him. Polly could only imagine the person on the other side to be Philip's aunt and started to panic as he opened the door. "Hello?" Her father asked, and Polly peered over his frame to realize that the knocking on the door was met with no one there.

Polly was confused at first until she looked to the window and saw Peggy waving her hands frantically. She watched as the woman pointed at the window, gesturing for her to open it. She quickly caught on to the idea and moved over to open the window. "What are you doing?" Thomas questioned as he looked back to his daughter.

"I got hot!" Polly exclaimed, looking to the window to realize the woman outside had dove for the ground as soon as Thomas had looked over at her. Thomas sighed before looking to the empty doorstep before rolling his eyes. "Whoever knocked has clearly moved on." He sighed as he closed the door.

As his back was turned, Polly turned around to see James enter with two young children following behind him. Her eyes went wide as her father was distracted by closing the door. The eleven year old began to violently point at the open window. Peggy popped her head back up, silently waving at her nephew with a grin on her face.

Thomas began to turn back to his daughter, and Polly realized she couldn't allow him to do that. She thought quickly as she began squealing and running to the other side of the room where Thomas wouldn't be able to see the three sneak past. "Papa, there's a spider in my hair!" Polly shouted dramatically.

Lucy had to cover her mouth so she wouldn't laugh at her sister's antics. Thomas rushed to Polly's side as the eleven year old to mess up her long locks. James took the young girl's cue and quickly ushered Philip and Lucy towards the window. They moved quietly as they got closer.

Peggy held out her arms as Lucy began to help the young boy out the window. Lucy met Philip's eyes for a moment, a silent look that begged him not to go just yet. But they had no time. Polly's distraction couldn't last forever. Peggy got a hold of her nephew's waist and lifted him down from the ledge of the window onto the ground.

"I don't see a spider..." Thomas trailed off as his fingers went through his daughter's hair. As soon as the words left his mouth, Polly began to throw her arms around wildly, even smacking her father in the face by accident. James rushed forward as soon as Philip was back with his aunt, getting ready to close the window.

He would've closed it if Lucy hadn't stopped him by putting her hand on his chest. The seven year old began to climb out of the window, earning a wide-eyed look by both the cook and Philip's aunt. Peggy moved to help her down however. As soon as Lucy touched the ground, James shut the window closed.

The noise was enough to pull Thomas away from Polly. He furrowed his brows at the sight of his cook. "Mr. Hemings, I thought you were busy." The man commented. James shrugged his shoulders a little as he looked at Polly who had stopped her antics and began fixing her hair. "I got cold. I hope Miss Jefferson doesn't mind that I've decided to close this to avoid the draft." He said, putting his hands behind his back politely.

She smiled at him and shook her head. "Not one bit, Mr. Hemings." Polly replied, looking to her father. Thomas furrowed his brows as her disheveled hair,"Did you find the spider?" He asked her. The girl shrugged her shoulders a little,"False alarm. Must've felt the breeze." She said calmly.

Thomas couldn't help but be wary as he looked between the two, but he thought he was just tired from the entire dinner so he moved to the staircase. "I'm going to bed. I trust Lucy is sound asleep?" Thomas called down as he made his way up the stairs. Polly nodded her head to him. "Out like a light!" She insisted. Thomas reached the top of the stairs, looking down at his daughter.

"And I trust you will be too shortly. Go to bed, Polly. It's been a long day." He said, knowing it was probably more applicable to him than her. She moved to the stairs, not tearing her eyes away from him until she watched Thomas open the door to his own room. It was only when he shut his bedroom door, that she let out a breath of relief.

James moved back over to the window and opened it, staring down at the three who were waiting outside. "You're in the clear. The master has gone to bed." He told them. Peggy smiled in relief and looked down to her nephew before her eyes went to the girl. "You two can say your goodbyes now." She encouraged them.

Peggy took a few steps back, moving slowly towards her carriage to give them space. James noticed the woman's actions and decided it was the best option for him as well. The cook moved over to Polly, who seemed eager to eavesdrop on her sister's conversation. He however shook his head at her and directed her away from the window.

Lucy looked nervous as her eyes moved from the window to her friend. She didn't know what to say to Philip after the night they had, when so much of it was wonderful, the present fear and threat that her father posed couldn't be ignored. He was unsure of what to say to her as well. The future seemed so unsure for them. After this night, who's to tell what would happen next?

"I–" The children both stopped when they realized they started speaking at the same time. Philip gestured for her to continue, and Lucy smiled small. "I have my eighth birthday in a few weeks. Maybe I could throw a party. Maybe you could attend." She suggested. It was the best idea she had.

The boy considered it for a moment,"I don't think it will work. I'd be the only one there." He pointed out. Lucy frowned as she playfully smacked his arm. He snickered at her action, not even bothering to defend himself when he saw the whack coming. "Are you saying that you're my only friend, Mr. Hamilton?" She asked.

Philip shook his head lightly,"No. I was hoping." He admitted.

His words shocked her a little, and her eyes softened as the small smirk on her face was dropped. Lucy nodded her head a little and leaned forward and pulled him into an embrace. "I want to see you again though." She whispered into his ear. Philip smiled sadly as he held onto her. "You will. Don't worry." He assured her quietly before pulling away from the hug.

"Goodnight, Philip."

"Goodnight, Lucy."

Both their voices were soft as they bid each other farewell. Philip slowly walked away from her, moving over to his aunt who wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him to the carriage. Lucy stayed still the entire time she watched him leave her. She watched as him and Peggy boarded the carriage, and didn't stop watching until the carriage disappeared down the street.

She stayed silently watching as James appeared at the window, noticing that the boy had left. He looked down at the young girl with a little concern in his eyes over his expression. "Are you okay?" He questioned her. Lucy wasn't paying attention to the rest of her surroundings before then. She nodded her head at his question. "I'm fine." The girl was too quiet to sound believable, but if she wanted to talk to him she would.

He helped her up through the window, not letting go until she was safely inside. James closed the window slowly as he looked over to see Polly rush to her sister's side. Polly asked her so many questions, none that the little girl seemed to keen to answer right away. Instead Lucy just mumbled a few one worded answers.

* * *

"Thank you." Eliza told her sister, pulling her son into her arms. Peggy smiled at Eliza, relieved that all the adrenaline and nerves caused from Philip's escape out of the Jefferson household had all died down now. "You're more than welcome, and I'd be happy to do it again if you need me to." Peggy assured her.

Eliza smiled and nodded her head,"You're too kind." She complimented. Her sister's smile grew into a grin at her words, and Peggy chuckled,"Goodnight, Eliza." Peggy told her before turning around and walking back to her carriage. "Goodnight, Peggy." Eliza said softly as she watched her sister get back into her carriage and leave.

Her eyes fell to her son who gripped onto her tightly. "Did you enjoy yourself?" She asked curiously as she led him inside the house. Philip nodded his head a little, and it was only then when she got a good look at his face to notice he was upset. The woman frowned at the sight, knowing she had planned their whole night around getting that sad look off his face.

She closed the door, taking him further inside before she kneeled down so their faces were at the same level. Eliza furrowed her brows as she ran her fingers gently through his curls. "Tell me what's wrong. Didn't you have a good time tonight?" She questioned him. Philip looked up briefly, his eyes meeting his mother's.

"I did. Which is the problem." He said, his voice quiet with his sadness. She frowned and pulled him into a hug, smoothing down his hair gently as she began to whisper softly that it was okay. Philip didn't hug her back at first, but slowly began to he ease himself into the comfort of his mother's embrace and wrapped his arms around her.

Alexander watched his son and his wife in quiet for a moment. He had told Eliza when they were cleaning up that he was reminded that he needed to write something down, so he disappeared off to work. In reality he had went to check on his eldest child, only to find Philip's bed empty. The moment he had come downstairs he found, Eliza comforting their son.

His eyes went soft, though he had been angry and worried the minute he found Philip's bed empty. "Do I get an explanation to what's going on here?" Alexander's voice wasn't angry as he spoke, and he walked over to the two of them as they pulled away from each other's embrace.

"Alexander, I–" Eliza began as she stood up. He shook his head at her, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm not angry." He assured her quietly as he moved away. Alexander went to look at his son, who was still wearing a sad expression on his face but this time there was a little bit of fear mixed in.

Philip began to look guilty the longer his father looked at him. "I had to see her. I know you told me there was nothing I could do, but I didn't want to accept that." The young boy began. Alexander nodded his head at his son, gesturing for him to continue. He nodded his head a little,"I– I want to be friends with her, Daddy. I get along with her. I don't know why you don't get along with Mr. Jefferson, but _I get along with her_." He said.

"I understand. But you know, Philip, this hardly changes anything. You took a great risk to go see her tonight. I'm presuming her father didn't catch you because if he did he would be breaking down this door and giving me hell about it. But if he did catch you, you would be in a huge amount of trouble. I can't protect you from that. And I can't protect her either." He told his son frankly.

Eliza frowned at she watched the hope leave her son's eyes, and she whacked her husband on the arm. Alexander let out a loud 'ow' and rubbed the spot where she hit him. "What was that for?" He asked her. "What was that for?" Eliza asked him, mocking his tone.

She clenched her fists,"You spent the entire night angering this man and now you tell your own son that he shouldn't risk angering him either? He's in this position because of you! The least you could do is help him instead of telling him that he can't be friends with someone because of your petty feuds!" She scolded him.

Alexander was shocked at her words,"First of all, my feuds are not petty." He pointed out sternly, taking a quick breath. "Second of all–" He stopped when he realized the way he was fighting with her in that moment was much like how he fought with someone else. There was no way he could do that to her. Treat her no better than the men that irritated him. Because Eliza was better than those men, in fact she was probably one of the best things in his life and he hated how he never showed it.

He looked away from her down to his son. It wouldn't kill him to listen to Eliza for once. He hardly ever listened to her when she was pleading with him to change his behavior, but maybe this was the right moment to finally start.

"Philip, you really like this girl, don't you?"

"Yes."

"And you want to see her again?"

"Yes!"

The man couldn't help but find a smile on his face as his son responded so firmly. It only reminded Alexander of himself, so stubborn in his own views to ever abandon them. He looked back at Eliza, noticing she was practically holding her breath in anticipation to what his response would be.

He wouldn't let her down. Not in that moment.

"Then the next time you and your mother plan to sneak you off to see Miss Jefferson again, include me in on it. I promise you'd be better off with me on your side to distract Mr. Jefferson so you can get more time with her. Sound good?" Alexander asked. The sad face Philip had been wearing melted off as he rushed to hug his father. Alexander chuckled at his son's tight grip, and looked up to meet his wife's eyes.

Alexander had made her happy. Eliza smiled at him with so much affection that she had given him at so few but yet the best of moments. It was look she had given him at their wedding, a look he was given when he held Philip in his arms for the first time, and a look that came with every child to follow. A look that reminded Eliza that despite the passing years, Alexander was hers.


	6. Love, Lucy

**A/N: Your comments are so encouraging? Like, I don't even know how to fully explain my joy every time I see one of you guys commenting on my story. Thank you all so much.**

* * *

 _ **Winter 1791**_

The next time she saw Philip didn't come soon enough.

Of course with the help of Alexander, their last time together wasn't that one night back in the spring. Philip and Lucy had actually met quite a few times over the summer with the help of the boy's parents. Luckily the fact that Eliza got along so well with Thomas helped with sneaking around. While Alexander could make a good distraction, Thomas was always more likely to spend time with Eliza due to the fact he enjoyed spending time with her.

Contrary to his time with Alexander, which was mostly spent fighting.

Lucy had been hoping to see Philip as the seasons changed, but her father had hired a tutor for Polly who had taken upon himself to not only waste the twelve year's old time but also Lucy's. It wasn't like she hated the tutor or anything, the little girl just wished she had more time to play than being taught Latin.

By the time Christmas rolled around, Lucy had picked out a present. Polly exchanged letters with Eliza to organize their next meeting, but they had no such luck securing a time and place for Philip and Lucy to meet away from the eyes of her father. It was agonizingly painful for the eight year old to practice her violin.

She desperately wanted Philip to be around to accompany her on the piano.

However, a miracle happened when Thomas received a letter from his eldest daughter. Patsy had hardly wrote to him after everything that had happened. The most news he had gotten from his daughter was from her husband, Tom, who spoke highly of her and even that they might have been suspecting a little one.

It was after Christmas when Thomas got the invitation. Patsy wanted to see him again, mostly because she felt that despite all her father's faults that he still deserved to be present for the birth of his first grandchild. Thomas was so happy after he read the letter, he had picked Lucy up and carried her on his shoulders and sung around the house.

Thomas had really wanted his daughter to forgive him, and this letter would be the bridge back into Patsy's heart.

Not that much time passed until Thomas was off on a carriage to Virginia. He had originally planned to take his other two daughters with him, but Polly and Lucy were already thinking the same thing. They pleaded that since the new year had started, they were going to dedicate themselves to their studies.

Convincing him of this took a lot of name-dropping their older sister, Patsy, who was often praised for her highly educated mind. Folks around Virginia were quite aware of that even after the girl had spent most of her time in France. They still knew and called her the most educated woman in Virginia.

He strongly believed that his daughters were inspired by their older sister, knowing nothing of their deceit. He however didn't want to leave them alone at the household. Although he trusted Mr. Hemings to take care of them well, the man was still only but a slave.

There was only one man Thomas trusted enough to take care of his daughters.

And he _hated_ children.

James Madison groaned the minute the girls were dropped onto his doorstep. He kept a straight face while bidding his friend farewell, but as soon as Thomas crossed the state's border, the man fell suddenly ill. James kept himself bedridden, often restricting the girls from entering his room in case he 'infected' them.

"Uncle James, are you coming out today?" Lucy asked, opening the door to the man's room slightly. She furrowed her brows at the sight of him. James was tucked underneath his covers and sported a nightcap on his head. His fingers gripped the sheet, bringing them up to the base of his chin.

He coughed weakly, almost pathetically as the eight year old stared at him. "I'm too sick." He whined a little. Lucy rolled her eyes at the man before nodding her head. "Alright. I'll have some soup sent up for you." She mumbled before closing the door. Lucy made her way down the hall before opening the door to the guest room where her and her sister had been staying.

She smiled as soon as she saw Polly, who had adopted the name Maria, but the girl was too distracted to notice her. Maria brushed her long straight hair as she sat on her bed, reading over the letter she had received almost a week earlier. "Isn't that the fifth time you've read that letter, Polly?" Lucy asked her sister.

Maria frowned at her old nickname, turning her head to the girl,"How many times do I have to tell you that I've changed my name before you actually start using it?" She asked. Maria stopped brushing her hair, putting her brush down before folding up her letter. Lucy frowned a little,"You'll always be Polly to me. And I'm sorry if I don't like the new name because you changed it for a boy." She replied.

Her sister didn't seem to appreciate the sass, as she crossed her arms to mimic the younger girl. Lucy rolled her eyes, clearly not in the mood to have that conversation. Maria was however.

"I didn't change it because of a boy. I changed it because I'm getting older. Polly is as childish as Bean, which I know you don't appreciate me calling you that anymore, Lucy." Maria pointed out, sticking up her nose. Her younger sister grew angry as she felt challenged by the older girl. "That's because you confused me into thinking my name _was_ Bean!" She exclaimed.

The girl chuckled down at her sister, thinking it was pretty funny that she had managed to accomplish that. Though to be fair, around the age Lucy was convinced that her name was a vegetable, it was also the age where Lucy viciously attacked Maria over every petty argument that they had.

Lucy glared up at her sister. "It's not funny." She pointed out. Maria smirked a little before shrugging her shoulders with a guiltless look in her eyes. "It's a little funny." Maria added.

"Never mind! I came in here to ask for your help today but all you want to do is brush your hair and write love letters to John!" She yelled at her before stomping out of her room. Maria furrowed her brows until realization came over her and she dropped the letter in her hand before running after her sister.

She stopped Lucy by grabbing onto her elbow. "Help? You mean...?" Maria trailed off as she raised both brows at the eight year old. Lucy nodded her head roughly at the twelve year old, a little annoyed that she had to ask. Her older sister let go as she looked down the hall in the direction of James's room.

"He hasn't come out once, has he?" Maria asked her, and the girl was answered with a small nod. She sighed when she knew what this meant, still it wasn't going to be easy. "Alright, alright. You'll get my help. But one of these days you're really going to have to make a friend who Papa doesn't hate you seeing." She pointed out.

Her younger sister furrowed her brows,"You're my friend." Lucy justified. Maria rolled her eyes at the younger girl as she put her hands on her waist firmly,"I'm your sister. It's not the same thing. Now it's cold outside so I suggest bundling up." She suggested.

Maria turned on her heel and returned to their room, which promoted the young girl to follow her. "And don't forget to give Philip his present the moment you see him!" She called over behind her as they entered the room, making sure to keep quiet enough though that their conversation wouldn't be overheard by James Madison.

* * *

"Mom, what are we doing?" Philip asked, a little impatient as he was seated by his mother, with Eliza's hands firmly pressed onto his shoulders. He couldn't see anything through the blindfold though he still tried to guess where his mother was taking him by mentally navigating the house. Yet the process confused him as Eliza purposely spun him around few times before leading him to the room.

Eliza shushed him, but the newly nine year old didn't like the shroud of mystery. "I have to practice my poem for Daddy, I have been working on it for–" "Yes, Philip, I know. And you will get the chance to, I promise. You've been practicing all morning and it's important to take a break every now and then. I promise you that you will read your poem to your father before supper." She assured him.

Philip sighed a little, before crossing his arms over his chest and nodding. He couldn't see his mother through the blindfold but she still managed to convince him with just the sound of her voice. "You promise?" He asked again despite the fact she had already promised him twice.

"I promise, Philip." She told him again, and the boy nodded his head again. "Good." Philip commented shortly, his tone of voice earning a small chuckle from his mother.

Suddenly the blindfold was lifted off of his eyes, and Philip squinted his hazel eyes open. He looked around to see that his mother had sat him in front of the piano. The boy raised a brow until he heard movement behind him. Angelica Hamilton skipped forward to the piano bench, standing tentatively as she looked to her mother for the cue.

The woman remembered the introduction they had went over prior, and almost scolded herself for almost forgetting all about it. "Oh! Right. Sorry, Angie." She apologized quietly to her six year old daughter before turning her head to Philip with a grin.

"Introducing the expert musical piano talents of Angelica Hamilton!" She cheered, before clapping her hands. Philip was confused by the whole thing, but he didn't have time to voice the confusion as his mother leaned down and nudged his shoulder with her elbow.

Philip took the hint and began clapping as well, but it was much slower and hesitant than Eliza's clapping.

"Today Miss Hamilton will be playing a song taught to her by her father, and she will be accompanied by a very special guest!" Eliza finished the introduction, gesturing encouragingly towards her daughter for her to begin. Angie grinned brightly at her mother before sitting herself down at the piano.

She moved her fingers to play before pausing and whipping her head back to look at her older brother. "Happy Birthday, Philip." Angie told him sweetly, and then returned to the piano keys. She began playing a soft tune that Philip had often heard her playing with their father. He smiled when he released that she had been practicing all that time in preparation for today.

It was her birthday gift to him.

He was so pleased that he had forgotten that his mother had mentioned a special guest. Philip's heart rushed at the sound of a violin joining the piano in the piece. He turned around when he realized that the music was coming from behind him.

Lucy smiled as she moved forward past him, joining his sister by the piano. She was quite graceful with the violin, despite the fact that Philip and her often had fun playing fast-paced and exiting pieces together. He sat back in his chair, a big grin coming onto his face.

Eliza looked over at her son, studying him as his features undeniably showed his happiness. It warmed her heart to see the sight, and she was so glad that Lucy had showed up on her doorstep when she did. The little girl had forgotten that today was the boy's birthday, but didn't hesitate to jump right in when Angie suggested that Lucy should join her in the surprise.

After a few minutes of the gentle melody, the song came to an end. Philip began clapping wildly as he jumped out of his chair. He ran towards his younger sister first and wrapped his arms around her torso. "Thank you, Angie." He said, pressing a kiss to her hair.

His sister pushed him off when his grip became too tight. "You're squeezing me to death, Philip!" She exclaimed and he chuckled at her words. Angie's anger soon slipped back into a smile however, as she greatly appreciated the fact that her brother enjoyed her playing.

Then the boy turned around to face Lucy. She was watching him affectionately, having been reminded of her relationships with her older sisters. The two children stared at each other for a moment, both sharing a matching smile. They both broke the tension as they ran up to each other and pulled each other into a hug.

Lucy chuckled as Philip held her as tightly as he did his sister, before pulling away. "I had no idea you were here! Why didn't you tell me Lucy was here?" He said, addressing his friend before turning around to his mother. Eliza raised both brows as her son accused her,"You told me you didn't want to be disturbed this morning!" She exclaimed.

 _Right_. The poem. She was rather right not to disturb him. His eyes then shifted back to Lucy who was putting away the violin she had borrowed back into its case. "Do you mind if I take Miss Jefferson to my room to show her what I've been working on?" Philip asked as he looked back to his mother.

Eliza nodded her head as a smile soon returned to his son's face. "Great!" He exclaimed, not wasting a moment before running out of the room. Lucy raised both brows as the boy hardly gave her enough time to catch up with him. Eliza stopped her however before she could run after him.

"Don't forget your present." She reminded the young girl. Lucy smiled up at the woman before nodding her head eagerly and running out of the room after her friend.

Angie slid herself off of the piano bench, moving over to her mother's side. "I like her." Angie commented with a nod of approval. Eliza chuckled as her daughter sounded so mature about it. "I like her too." She admitted as she stared down at her with a soft smile.

The door to Philip's room was thrown open by the eager nine year old as he went to his desk where the copy of the final draft of his poem sat. He was probably too excited to show his friend the poem, but he had spent so many months without her to talk to and was desperate for an opinion that wasn't his mother.

It's not like he didn't appreciate her opinion, but Eliza's opinion was rather biased when it came to Philip's work.

Lucy ran into his room as Philip picked up his poem, panting a little as he gave her no time to catch up with him. She looked over at him and caught her breath. The boy was so excited that he didn't even notice the box tucked underneath her arm.

"Quick, sit down here and I'll start and–" Philip began leading the girl over to the chair by his desk, but paused when the girl sat down. His eyes had finally settled on the box she carried that she hadn't had before when playing violin. He furrowed his brows, his thought forgetting his poem temporarily as he pointed at it.

She looked down when he pointed at the box,"Oh, yes, this is for you. I wanted to give it to you for Christmas but we never got the chance to see each other around then. So... birthday present." She held the box in the palms of her hands before offering it to him.

Philip placed his poem down on his desk, and he reached over and took the box from her. "You didn't have to get me anything. Seeing you today was enough." He told her gently. Lucy smiled at his words before shaking her head lightly,"No, I wanted to. I saw it and thought of you." She admitted.

The boy smiled before gently pulling on the string that was wrapped around it. When he opened the the box and saw the object sitting in its, his eyes softened. "A journal." He commented, taking the book from the box and opening it to the first page. Philip already felt eager to take his quill into his hand once more and begin another poem.

"I always liked hearing your poems so I thought you would want a place to put all of them." Lucy smiled as she watched him. Philip nodded his head as he closed the journal and looked up at her. He met her eyes with a grateful look,"Thank you. Thank you for paying attention to that. I just wished I got something for you for Christmas." Philip admitted with a light chuckle.

Her eyes twinkled before she shook her head again. "No, it's okay. Seeing you today was enough."

* * *

Thomas pulled up in the carriage. He knew his daughter has been acting as the head for two households, one being the one she shared with her husband, the other being Monticello. She had already promised to take care of it while Thomas worked as the secretary of state. But ever since their fight he felt a little like it was wrong of him still take care of his estate.

She didn't see it like that however, as Monticello was her home and it was the place where all her memories with her mother laid.

The man excused himself from the carriage, wrapping his coat tightly around his shoulders in the chill of winter. He didn't hesitate to climb the steps of his house and knocking on the door. It took a little bit for him to be answered, enough time for his bags to be unloaded and brought up by his driver.

A slave finally opened the door, and Thomas froze at the sight of the familiar girl. Sally looked up at him, her eyes a little wide from not seeing him in so long. "Mr. Jefferson–" She began, but the only words to leave her was her master's name. Instead of saying anything else, she moved aside to let him in.

Sally moved outside to pick up his bags as he entered the house. He watched as the teenager picked the bags up in her arms, before he reached to take them from her. "No... no, I'm sorry. Don't." The man whispered as he took the bags from her. She was a slave, and she was supposed to be doing these things for him.

"You don't have to uh– you don't have to be..." Sally tried to find the right words to say, and he shook his head at her stammered reply. "I do. If not for you, then for Lucy. She's still very fond of you... in fact, you are the only mother the girl has ever known." Thomas admitted.

Before the girl had a chance to reply, Thomas took down the hall without looking back at her. Sally closed the door silently, debating whether or not she should properly talk to him about everything that had gone down between them. Their relationship was complicated, especially to her. Sally was too young to know how to go about the affections of a man.

He was older, and he had loved a woman so much that it tore him apart when she died. Sally knew why the man must've been drawn to her however. She was a maternal figure towards his daughters, well to all his daughters with the exclusion of Patsy who was the same age. Not to mention she was once told that there was some resemblance between her and the man's late wife.

Sally followed him and decided that things were best left unsaid between them for now. After all he wasn't going to be very happy when she told him the news.

"Mr. Jefferson, please slow down, Mrs. Randolph isn't well enough for visitors." The girl said, running up to catch up with him. She paused the man by stopping in front of him. Thomas nearly dropped his bags at the news. Instead he calmly set them down, trying not to panic too soon.

Thomas gestured for her to continue, and Sally nodded her head. "You see, Mr. Jefferson, your daughter went into labor unexpectedly a few days ago. We weren't expecting the child to be born until the end of February. The birth took a little strain on her as she has come down with a fever. You can't see her." She explained.

She was unaware of the true toll of her words, but she could guess at it when she saw his face fell completely filled with grief. When she was young, Sally often heard the older slaves talking about their master. They said he hardly ate, and never left his room. They talked about him falling faint several times prior to his wife's funeral.

The look in his eyes showed a small glimpse of that, as the girl guessed his mind was thinking about his wife's death. Sally couldn't find it in herself to let him think like that. Despite everything she blamed him for, she knew from the stories that he wasn't a bad man. He was just deeply flawed and sometimes while that was not an excuse, Sally was too kind to let his mind settle on the worst.

"She's going to be okay... Thomas." She offered, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. The gloom in his eyes died down a bit when he heard her use his real name. He nodded his head a little.

At the sound of movement, Sally removed her hand from his shoulder immediately. The man watched his son-in-law made his way downstairs. Tom looked over, surprised to see Thomas in Monticello. He knew of his arrival, but it had become the last thing on his mind after the last few days.

"Miss Hemings, why didn't you announce that Mr. Jefferson arrived?" He asked, looking to the girl who was the same age as his wife. Honestly Tom was just embarrassed that he was caught a little off guard. The young man's jacket had been discarded, and he was hardly dressed for company.

He had insisted to Sally that he'd help to take care of his wife. Tom couldn't help but be a little worried knowing that giving birth was a tough time for a woman in that day and age.

"I was just about to. Is she awake?" She asked him. Tom nodded his head at the slave, appreciating the small concern he noticed from her. Patsy always seemed to never like the girl, but that never stopped Sally from showing respect or kindness towards her.

"Yes. Her fever's gone down a bit, would you like to see her?" Tom asked, his eyes shifting towards his father-in-law. Thomas nodded his head, eager to check up on his eldest child. "Miss Hemings, why don't you lead the way? I've been sent under the orders of my wife to retrieve our child which your arrival can no longer distract me from." He said.

Sally nodded her head before looking to Thomas. She led him up the stairs ad Tom disappeared off to the nursery. She led him to Patsy's room, placing her hand on the door handle before she opened the door for him. "She's still feverish... so be gentle. No getting mad at her. No arguing. Do you best to... to show her how much you love her. Alright?" Sally instructed him.

Without meaning to, mostly because he realized in that moment how much he missed her, Thomas leaned forward and kissed her. It wasn't as forceful as some kisses that he had given her in the past. In fact it was light peck on the lips, one that Sally was unfamiliar with. Sometimes he didn't even kiss her whenever they were intimate, as the reality of who she was and her position was ever present.

The girl didn't know what to say, or how to feel about the kiss. It had been too long since she had been that close to him to even receive a kiss. As she had barely wanted to touch him after getting pregnant in Paris. She was too ashamed of what had happened, and then when she lost her child all she could do was grieve because she had wished it upon herself. She wasted a life because she wished she didn't have it, and then her child died.

Not wanting to complicate their relationship further, she decided to say nothing. One of these days she should ought to say something instead of letting things just happen to her. But that day wouldn't be today.

"Go." She whispered, opening the door for him. Thomas stepped inside and his eyes fell to his eldest daughter who laid in bed. His daughter was in a sweat with fever, but luckily she didn't look as ill as her mother had been in the weeks leading up to her death.

Patsy turned her head over weakly at the sound of her door being opened. She had expected her husband back at her side but she was surprised when she saw her father. For the first time since their fight, her eyes actually softened at the sight of Thomas.

"Papa." She spoke and her father didn't waste a moment before rushing to her side. Thomas kneeled at her bedside, reaching for her hand and pressing his lips to her hot knuckles. He kissed her hand multiple times as he held on tightly. Patsy would've chuckled at his worry if she felt better.

Instead the girl smiled and rolled her eyes at him before taking her hand away from his kisses. "You know that I'm not dying, Papa." She pointed out. Thomas narrowed his eyes at her,"This is no time for a joke, Mar– _Patsy_." He paused in his scolding to remind himself of what Sally told him. No fighting.

After all he had come to Monticello seeking her forgiveness.

She noticed his efforts, and had to give him credit for trying. It was the nicest she had seen him in what felt like an eternity. Patsy rested her head back onto her pillow as the door to her room was opened again. A smile took over her features at the sight of the man she loved carrying their child.

"Ann." The girl spoke, and Tom smiled at the sound of their daughter's name on her lips. He carried his daughter gently over to his wife. Patsy moved to sit up, compelling her father off of his knees to help her lean her back against her bed frame.

Tom arrived at their side, passing his daughter over to his wife. "Mr. Jefferson, I would like you to meet your first grandchild, Ann." He introduced the man to his granddaughter with a smile on his face. Thomas peered over Patsy's shoulder at tiny bundle of life she held within her arms.

He had been much older than his daughter was when he became a parent. Even older than his son-in-law. Thomas could still remember how nervous he felt, and how unprepared he thought he was. For awhile he hoped for a son, mostly because he wanted someone he could raise in his own vision. The moment Patsy was born he did not care that she wasn't the son he wished for, all that mattered to him was that he loved her.

"You're going to be a great mother." Thomas spoke, unaware he had actually said the words out loud until he saw the smile on her daughter's face. Patsy looked at him with gratitude,"Thank you, Papa." She whispered, as she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Forgiveness. Can you imagine?

* * *

"Working on another poem already?" Alexander questioned his son as he entered the door to the bedroom. His son sat at his desk, writing in a journal. The man was a little surprised when he recalled that Philip did not own a journal, and he moved into the room to investigate.

Philip looked up from his writing before nodding his head a little. "I've only had it for a couple of days but it felt like the right time to break it in." He explained. His father nodded his head back at his son as he moved to the boy's side, placing one hand on the desk as he looked it over.

He furrowed his brows as he began to remember what was a couple of days ago. "A birthday present. That explains it. From who, though? Did Aunt Peggy give this to you?" Alexander questioned him. Philip shook his head, not being able to hide the smile that came onto his face.

"No. From Lucy." He corrected. Alexander couldn't help but smirk at the boy's smile, and reached over towards the journal. His motion stopped however as he looked down at his son for permission. "May I?" He asked. Philip gave him a short nod before his father picked up the journal.

Examining the journal, Alexander nodded his head in approval. "Your friend has good taste." He commented with a small laugh as he flipped through some pages. As he reached the middle, suddenly a paper dropped. Alexander placed the journal back down in front of Philip before reaching down and picking up the paper.

The letter was then placed onto the desk by the man, who looked to his son. "I believe that's for you." Alexander pointed, already having noticed that the letter hadn't been opened. Philip was surprised he hadn't noticed the letter tucked away in his journal before, but it did make quite a bit of sense. He hadn't taken the time to fully examine it.

Philip reached for the letter, going to open it before he realized he had no way of knowing what was waiting for him when he opened it. He looked up at his father, a little hesitant to ask the man to leave considering Alexander seemed a little too busy for him as of late.

"Do you... mind?" The boy asked, hesitant in his words. Alexander raised both brows in shock, mockingly putting his hand to his chest and faking emotional distress. " _Mind?_ I don't know where you got this attitude from. I had no idea that my dearest son reaching the age of nine would be the age when he becomes a man. Kicking me out already? Before we know it you'll be out running a muck and stealing hearts left and right!" Alexander couldn't contain his laughter by the end of it, only because his son looked so incredibly annoyed with him.

He ruffled Philip's hair, still chuckling a little. "I'll leave you alone. But next time Miss Jefferson is here, please do inform me. I have a few book recommendations for her. Not to mention I have to find out where she got that journal from." He smirked a little as he removed himself from his son's bedroom.

The nine year old frowned as his father left him,"She's my friend, not yours!" Philip called after his father, shaking his head a little as he heard the man's footsteps grow faint down the hall. The boy returned back to his letter before gently opening it. He really wasn't prepared for the words on the page, but he decided the best option was to just read it to see where it went.

 _Dear Philip,_

 _I haven't seen you since the seasons changed. Truth be told, I don't think I've ever missed someone as much as I have missed you. I have to say that you're my best friend. The only true friend I have ever had. Polly is my dear sister, and while I do consider her my friend, she hasn't been the closest to me lately. Sometimes I feel like we're drifting apart and I have no one to talk to._

 _And then I realize I want to talk to you. It happens at least once every day. A conversation, or anything really, happens and I think of you. I think about how much I want to tell you about it._ _My thoughts of you would not stop and I found myself with my father one day. He was purchasing a new set of quills when I found my way to this journal. During our times together you often enjoyed making poetry up on the spot, but I thought you could finally write them down._

 _I think you are a great poet, and I know it's smart to encourage these things in a person._ _I know this because the people who care about me have encouraged me, and I do not have any doubt that your mother and father have loved and encouraged you over the years. What I'm trying to say is: I believe in you. If there ever comes a time where you doubt yourself and cannot find comfort in your family, I promise that you will always have a friend in me to find that within._

 _Write about anything in this journal. Write about what inspires you. But most importantly, write what makes you happy._

 _Love,_

 _Lucy._

* * *

Lucy couldn't help but play with her porridge as she sat at the table. She hadn't been in quite the mood to finish her lunch right away and instead settled for an occasional spoonful despite the lack of patient from the people who joined her at dinner. It came to a point where Maria left the table completely, fed up with Lucy's lack of desire to eat the food put out in front of her.

The only person who remained at the table was James Madison, who had recovered from his ill disposition yet still undoubtedly seemed frail. But that was probably more due to his personality than his physical health. James studied the girl as fiddled with her spoon, twirling it around the contents of her meal.

He thought this was the right moment. The eight year old was unguarded by her older sister, who was a clever twelve year old who always seemed to manage to cloud the truth. The man had no idea if the younger girl was as good of a liar as her sister was, but he was counting on the fact Lucy wouldn't be.

"Where were you a few days ago?" James asked her, leaning both of his elbows on the table. The man had began to stare her down, as if he already knew exactly what he was accusing her of.

She dropped her spoon as a wave of panic descended onto her. A bit of her meal splashed onto the tablecloth without warning, but James would have to worry about that later. Lucy desperately tried to think of an answer worthy of Maria's approval.

But she struggled to find any.

"I thought–"

"You thought that Maria covered for you? She did. As she has always done before from what I'm guessing. And I do believe the girl is convincing enough, but do you want to know why I felt a little twinge of doubt?" James questioned the little girl.

Lucy grew nervous as she felt the whole thing unraveling before her eyes. She opened her mouth to form a response, but her brain panicked when it hit a blank. James was always a kind enough of a man to her, but Lucy was always aware of how much James spent at her father's side.

There was no way he would choose her side over his, and she was certain that she was right about this.

"W-why?" She asked, her voice shaking a little. James wasn't a person to get mad, not in the way the girl was used to, but maybe it was because the girl was thinking of her father that she was afraid. "Because I'm not a fool, Lucy. I'm a very smart man who can tell when he's being lied to and I knew for a fact Maria was lying to me when she made up an excuse to your whereabouts. Now, will you tell me where you really were that day?" His voice was calm as he asked her, but that didn't help.

She shook her head quickly, pushing her chair back and rushing onto her feet. James wasn't going to let her go until he got the truth from her and got up from his chair. He gently touched her shoulder, silently expressing that she didn't have the freedom to leave that situation.

The girl slowly sank herself back into her chair when she realized there was no escape. Lucy clasped her hands tightly together in her lap as his eyes on her never left. She felt like he was seeing through everything that had been so carefully planned to keep a secret.

"If I tell you where I was, my father will get mad. He will get _really_ mad." She pointed out. James felt a little disappointed when he had a guess to where this was going. The man kept his composure however as he sat back down.

His eyes scanned her once over before he gestured for her to continue. "It's better for you to tell me the truth right now than for me to tell your father of my accusations, Lucy." James informed her. Realizing the man had a point to it, Lucy decided that maybe the truth wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe there was a chance he wouldn't tell her father.

"I went to see Philip Hamilton." She admitted, not being able to look up from her hands to see the man's reaction. James frowned as the disappointed grew in him further. Once again he was thankful he didn't have children, otherwise there would be the chance that this feeling in him right now could reoccur.

James didn't like it one bit, and if he was feeling slightly betrayed by the girl's deceit, he could only imagine her father when he found out about this.

"Lucy, you know your father has not allowed for you to see the boy. Why would you disobey him like that?" The man questioned her. For the first time since her admittance, Lucy looked up at him to notice the disappoint in him. "Because he's my friend!" She defended her actions.

He paused after her response, taking a moment to study her before drawing the conclusion. "You've gone to see the Hamilton boy multiple times, haven't you?" James asked her, almost afraid of the answer knowing of what it could mean for the girl.

When she didn't answer right away, he knew she was debating on whether or not to tell him the truth. That meant it was as bad as James could guess it was. "Lucy, you have to realize that there are consequences to your actions. You can't disobey your father, he is your family and he is more important than any temporary friend." He stated.

" _Temporary_ friend?" At first, he was afraid that she would be angry with him when she spoke. James often heard the horror stories of her temper and James desperately hoped he hadn't set him off, but when the man studied her he realized he had done something much worse.

He had _hurt_ her.

"Then tell him! Let my father take my only friend away from me! If you're convinced that Philip is nothing more than just some person passing by in my life than by all means ruin my friendship with him before we even have the chance! Is that want you want from me here?!" She wasn't lashing out in anger, and it was clear by the tears building up in her eyes.

James stood up abruptly, knowing he had no way to handle it if she began to cry.

"Lucy, please, I just want you to understand that you're risking too much here for just a boy." He tried to correct his mistake with the girl, but his words didn't seem to make it any better.

He didn't continue when he saw the look on her face, instead he just stopped and stared at her uncomfortably. Lucy stared at him before getting up from her chair. She excused herself from the table before walking out of the room without another word, and James realized he had a terribly difficult decision to make ahead of him.

* * *

 **A/N: Small historical note, Polly changed her name to Maria in the fall of 1789 when they returned from France. The reason for the name changed was because in France many of her teachers pronounced her name 'Marie' and she wanted to keep that, but Jefferson suggested that she make it sound more American because she was American. Maria is pronounced with a long "i" in the Virginia fashion.**

 **Just a fun fact I thought you guys should know or might find interesting.**


	7. Decision Time

**A/N: After reading a comment, I've decided we really need a ship name for our cuties. It took me awhile to figure out one because yeah their names don't exactly mesh well together at first glance but I've found the perfect one and I really hope you guys like it. Introducing... LULIP! I like this one because it sounds like tulip, but if you guys have a better one by all means comment with one.**

 **Anyways, enjoy this chapter! I left you guys off with Madison having a big decision to make... can you guess which one he'll choose? Can you guess to what _Jefferson_ will choose? Can you guess what Schuyler sister will make an appearance _really_ soon?**

 **Find out in this chapter! *mysterious music plays***

* * *

 _ **Winter 1791**_

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Thomas asked his daughter, raising both brows at her. He was still so concerned for her, even though her fever had ended up being short lived. Patsy crossed her arms over her chest, the new mother a little ticked off that he was convinced she was so fragile. "For your information, my first birth went extremely well. I'm already walking. The fever last only a few days. Look– I'll even skip for you." She said.

Her father frowned when the teenager began smirking as she skipped circles around him. This was behavior typical of the little girl he once knew, which was endearing to see, but the man guessed her husband wouldn't feel the same way he did. Thomas cleared his throat a little and gestured to the front door where Tom stood staring at his wife in shock.

Patsy stopped her actions, a crimson blush engulfing her face. Thomas chuckled and draped an arm over the girl's shoulders,"My darling girl, you are the image of the upmost class found in a woman." He joked, earning a whack from his daughter. Patsy looked over at him and glared,"Don't make me angry again. I could not talk to you again for almost a year. Is that what you want?" The girl challenged, crossing her arms over her chest.

Thomas's eyes went wide when he thought about another year spent with his daughter hating him. He couldn't handle that again, especially since Patsy was the closest to him out of all his daughters. She was there for him after her mother died, and put up with all the grief he went through.

"Never do that to me again, Patsy, I don't think I could handle it." He admitted quietly, looking vulnerable for a moment. Patsy's gaze softened towards him and she reached over to take his hand. "Then I ask a favor of you, Papa. If you truly love me then you won't be able to deny it." She told him.

Desperate to get back into her good books, Thomas made the mistake of accepting the ultimatum without actually waiting to hear what her request was. "Anything." The man promised, just as a silly eleven year old girl had done years ago to get what she wanted from him.

She noticed he was making the mistake, but just like he took advantage of what she wanted, she would do the same to him now. Besides it's not like it wasn't for a good cause. "If Lucy wants to see Mr. Hamilton's son, you have to let her." Patsy finally said. She watched as her father's face dropped immediately into disgust.

"You can't be serious." Thomas said, his stomach churning at the thought of letting his daughter back into the arms of a little boy who was just going to grow up to be his father. As the man stared at his daughter though, he soon realized that she was very serious about this.

"No... no! Patsy, please anything else. Anything. I beg you anything else!" He whined, moving his arm from her shoulders and wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned his head down on her collarbones and dramatically fake sobbed into her dress. Patsy frowned at his actions, clearly not impressed with his actions. He was almost as childish as she could be.

Tom began to chuckle at his father-in-law's actions and that soon got the older man out of it. When Thomas realized that their audience was laughing _at_ him and _not_ with him, Thomas let go out his daughter and quickly went to smooth down his vest with a stern look on his face.

Patsy looked over to husband with a smile, mouthing a small 'thank you'. He gave her wink before moving to the side when Sally arrived with Thomas's bags. The slave carried them to the carriage that was waiting for her master. Thomas wanted to go to help her originally but he knew he couldn't openly help her in front of his daughter and her husband. Patsy never approved of the relationship and Thomas knew she wouldn't be the only one to.

"Thank you, Miss Hemings." Thomas nodded his head a little when Sally finished loading his bags onto the carriage. The girl turned her head over at him with an uneasy smile. "Until next time, Mr. Jefferson. I... Will you tell Lucy that I said hello? And that I miss her? I would write to her if I could." She requested, a little hesitant over the fact Sally presumed he would say no.

Instead the man nodded his head,"Of course." Thomas promised her. He watched as the slave relaxed a little, and Sally smiled at him before returning quickly to the house. She had his granddaughter to take care of after all.

He moved over back to his daughter, pressing his lips to her cheek. "I'll consider it. I'll write to you. So you will always know how your sisters are doing... and if I've accepted your request." Thomas told her gently, and Patsy sighed when she realized that was the best she was going to get out of him for awhile. He was too stubborn to ever listen to reason but Patsy really hoped he listened to this.

Because what harm could come out of children being friends?

"I love you, Papa." She whispered, moving over to wrap her arms around him. Thomas smiled as he folded her into his embrace,"I love you too." He whispered back.

Thomas pulled away from the hug with a sad smile, mostly because this was the first time he realized that Patsy wasn't his little girl anymore. She had grown up so beautifully and became an intelligent young lady, and now she was married. She was a mother. Patsy was officially out of his hands, and it saddened him to realize he had to survive this feeling two more times.

She caught onto the look he was giving her, and Patsy touched his shoulder gently. "You're going to be okay." She told him, meeting his eyes. Thomas felt something in his heart tighten at those familiar words, knowing it was something she often said whenever they dealt with the death of Martha.

"I know." He said, before turning away to enter his carriage. He settled himself in and Patsy closed the door behind him. She looked at him through the window and Thomas tried to remember every detail of her face in that moment. He wouldn't be with her for a long time. Despite the fact they were in the same country, he was still miles away from Monticello. And the man knew he couldn't visit her every time he wanted to.

He reached his hand over, and Patsy took his and gave him a gentle squeeze. Thomas let go of the girl's hand as Patsy told the driver to go. The carriage took off and he couldn't help but peer his head out the window to watch as his daughter and Monticello became smaller the further he went away. His heart sank to be leaving his family but he reminded himself that his job waited for him when he got back.

Maria and Lucy waited for him when he got back.

Patsy watched as her father's carriage rode away and she couldn't help but feel sad too at his departure. She never liked being apart from him, even though he had always done his best to send her away to school so he could get some time in to work. But she didn't regret the decision to marry so young, especially when she was smart enough to know that this was her place in that day and age.

"You're going to miss him, won't you?" Tom wrapped his arm around her waist as he appeared besides her. She nodded her head at her husband,"He's my father, isn't he?" Patsy said simply with a small shrug of her shoulders. Her husband pursed his lips tightly, as if he was suppressing a small cringe. "Yes, but you know who my father is. He has never loved me. Unlike you, your father loves you very much, Martha." Tom reminded her.

She knew he wasn't on the best terms with his own father, and she nodded her head a little as she reached over to touch his cheek gently. "I'll love you enough so that you'll forget all of that." Patsy stuck her chin up, looking so determined that she was capable of doing it. Tom laughed it off a little, though in reality he was hiding some of his true feelings. Patsy was younger than him after all, and while she experienced some hardship in her life he wasn't convinced she knew what he felt.

"Unfortunately, love doesn't always help. But... thank you. You really don't know how much you mean to me." He told her honestly, knowing that her love for him was sometimes all he needed at the end of the day. He pulled her into a kiss, and she smiled against his lips. She was still convinced that her fight with her father all those months ago held no ring and truth and that no matter what happened, Tom would never disappoint her.

* * *

James Madison lined the two girls up in front of his house, putting his hands on both of their shoulders and moving them until the line they were in was exactly perfect. The man dusted off the imaginary dirt that seemed to be on the sleeves of Lucy's dress. He looked over the two girls for a moment, looking at them up and down before he gave a small nod of approval.

"Good. You girls look presentable." He commented before moving to position himself besides them. James tucked his hands behind his back and held them together, waiting patiently for his friend's carriage to arrive. "I always look presentable." Maria protested, looking personally offended by his words.

Lucy rolled her eyes at her older sister's response. "Mr. Madison, do we have to wait outside for Papa to arrive? We could just wait inside for him, you know." She pointed out. James was surprised when he didn't hear her call him her uncle once again, and it almost saddened him. He could tell she was still angry with him by the way she glared when he looked over.

"No one asked you, Lucy." He snapped back at her, out of spite over the fact she resorted to properly addressing him only when she was upset with him. Who did that little girl think she was? She had no right to purposely ignore his request only to throw it back into his face only when he had threatened to reveal her secret. James continued to be angry at her as a silence fell over the three of them.

They waited for what seemed forever, even though it was no longer than twenty minutes. James didn't mind the wait, but Maria and Lucy were growing more agitated as another minute passed. Finally the carriage pulled up, right around the time Thomas had predicted when he wrote about his return. James put on a polite smile as he moved to open the door for Thomas as the carriage pulled up.

He helped the other man out, opening his mouth to address Thomas about everything he missed when he was interrupted. Lucy broke formation and ran up to her father, throwing her arms around him. "Papa!" She gushed, her voice light and airy as a giggle erupted when Thomas picked her up.

James narrowed his eyes at the girl, knowing full well she could've clearly seen that he was preparing himself to talk to her father before she so rudely interrupted. The man had faced many political challengers before, but none as intimidating or threatening as the eight year old girl was. She knew exactly what she was doing and Lucy turned her head to look at James while her father embraced her tightly.

She sent him a small smirk, and his eyes went wide. This kid was really playing him.

Thomas set his youngest daughter down before he went over to embrace Maria. He pressed a kiss to his daughter's forehead and pulled her into a hug. "I missed you two so much. Patsy sends all her best wishes for the both of you." He informed him. Both girls perked up at the mention of their older sister.

"I take it went well with her?" Maria asked him, raising both brows. She was almost hesitant, knowing that she had overheard the fight they had almost a year ago. Maria knew how upset her older sister had gotten over that and really hoped that Patsy didn't have to endure that again when he had visited.

Her father nodded his head at Maria's question. "Of course, in fact the two of you are aunts!" He grinned as he exclaimed the news to both of them. Maria let out a surprised chuckle, and Lucy grinned gleefully at the news of being an aunt at only the age of eight years old. "Now you must direct me towards your bags and we'll be back to our own house before you know it." Thomas told them.

Maria took the lead, taking her father's hand and leading him inside James's house. Before Lucy could join them, the man stepped in front of her before she could catch up with her older sister and father. "Not so fast, young missy. I don't know what you think you're doing here, but I refuse to be victimized by an eight year old girl." James told her sternly, keeping his voice low so that Thomas wouldn't get the chance to over hear them.

Lucy raised one eyebrow at his words, placing her hands on her hips as she looked up at the man.

"Oh, Mr. Madison, you are terribly mistaken if you think you have a choice on this. I know that you have heard of my awful temper, but I promise you it's a lot easier when I start screaming angrily. It's a lot worse when I don't yell or lash out physically. In fact, it might even be the worst when I plan to destroy your reputation in my father's eyes. You even try to tell him about Philip and I will make sure he doesn't ever believe another word you say again." She threatened.

James had to admit, her words scared him. Even if she was a young girl, she sounded so determined to end him. He was definitely worried that she could have the potential to make her threat true.

"Lucy, this behavior is unacceptable." The man pointed out, trying to reason with her while he still could.

The little girl chuckled, her laugh bitter and not filled with the sweetness her previous laugh with her father had been. James mentally scolded himself for being so intimidated by her. "No one asked you, James." She told him, smirking at the fact she was using his own words against him. That never happened before.

Before he could say anything else, Thomas and Maria joined them outside once more, this time with the man carrying the bags of his daughters. "How about you help me with these instead of making conversation with my youngest?" Thomas asked, a little annoyed that James hadn't gone to help him in the first place.

He went over to help Thomas immediately already noting the annoyance in the other man's voice. His blood ran cold as he picked up Maria's bag and looked back at Lucy. That little devil had planned that, hadn't she? He almost started shaking when he loaded up the bag onto the carriage, mostly because he could still feel Lucy's gaze on him.

"Thank you." Thomas told him, before opening the door and letting Maria get in first. He then let his youngest in after, and Lucy sent a glare at James before she got in and sat besides her sister. Lucy still hadn't told her older sister about James finding out about Philip, mostly because she didn't want to burden Maria with having to pull her out of another fiasco.

Besides, Lucy was convinced she could handle this herself.

"Wait, Thomas," James grabbed his friend's arm before he could join his daughters in the carriage. Thomas whipped his head around and raised both brows questionably towards him. James swallowed a hard lump in his throat as he debated on what to say to him, knowing the decision wouldn't be easy. "There's something I have to tell you–"

The man couldn't finish his sentence, mostly because Lucy had peered out of the carriage to look at him. She didn't do anything at all, only stared at him dead in the eyes. Her gaze was rather unsettling, and it was enough to shut James up. "You know what, it can wait. Just go home. I'll bother you later." James chuckled nervously.

His friend's eyes went wide, mostly because Thomas could never recall a time when he ever heard his friend laugh. He didn't question it however and returned back to his carriage. "Until next time then." Thomas suggested before shrugging towards James. The man nodded his head before closing the door to the carriage.

"Of course. Have a safe trip home."

* * *

James hands couldn't help shaking, and he couldn't tell if it was because of the younger girl's threats, the decision he was facing, or the fact that he was feeling a little bit under the weather since he woke up that morning. Thomas took notice however and stopped his friend before they could even walk into work.

"What in the world is wrong with you? You're not dying, are you, James?" Thomas asked him, reaching his palm over to the other man's forehead. James swatted his hand away before he could touch him, and he cringed and shook his head immediately. "Of course I'm not dying. Not today." He answered.

Thomas didn't look like he was quite relaxed by his answer though, and he sighed when he realized he had to get out with it eventually. "I do need to tell you something. But I can't exactly do it here. I mean, Hamilton's probably already inside." He pointed out, almost imaging that if he did there would be a duel by the end of the day for sure. Thomas furrowed his brows as he was put on edge by the mention of his rival's name.

He tried to contain some of his anger though, knowing he couldn't risk another scene. "Why does this involve Hamilton?" Thomas asked, his voice calm when he spoke but James could tell that the anger was spilling over in the man's eyes. James took a deep breath before he made his decision. He knew what to do. This was the best option.

"Lucy... Lucy needs friends her own age, Thomas. Maria is already getting older and won't be around forever. In fact the girls are already starting to have their differences–" "James... where is this going?" Thomas asked, knowing he was a smart man and could put two and two together. James mentioned Alexander Hamilton, and his daughter in the same thought, and the only connection between them was Philip Hamilton.

"I think you know where this is going, Thomas."

* * *

 _ **Spring 1791**_

"No."

"No."

"No!"

"Ha, are you kidding me?"

"What? Absolutely not!"

"No... no... no! Never!"

"No. No. No. No. No. No!" Maria said, tossing Lucy's dresses around their room. She had a small audience, which including James, Thomas, and Lucy. Ever since Thomas broke the news that he had arranged to have tea with Eliza and had the intention of bringing Lucy along with her to spend time with Philip, Maria knew this was her chance to shine. However the girl was so indecisive about picking the perfect dress for her sister to wear that she was still deciding the day of.

James furrowed his brows as he watched the twelve year old go through every single option, which meant the entire wardrobe of the little girl was scattered around. Honestly he felt he should be more surprised over the fact that Lucy owned so many dresses, but her father was Thomas Jefferson after all.

"Polly, if you say no one more time I'm going to scream." Lucy pointed out, her arms crossed over her chest and an angry expression written on her features.

"Yes!" Maria cried triumphantly, throwing up the chosen dress into the air. She then whipped her head around to her little sister,"And don't call me Polly." The older girl reminded with a smile before rushing onto her feet. She quickly started to shoo the men in the room away.

Thomas and James stumbled as the twelve year old literally pushed them out of the bedroom. "I promise to have her dressed and downstairs once the carriage arrives. Send Gert up! I need help with her hair!" She told her father before shutting the door closed. Her father furrowed his brows at the girl when she closed the door on him and his friend, and he looked over at James with a frown.

"This is your fault. Maria already thinks Lucy is off to court the likes of that Hamilton boy." He sighed before shaking his head, already regretting this decision. James knew this was a better reaction than if he had told Thomas the truth. "I highly doubt that it will blossom into such things. They are young. You wouldn't have to worry about such things." James tried to assure him.

But he wasn't buying it. "Have you seen Maria? She's completely obsessed with a boy who was her childhood friend once. I doubt he'll stay that way forever." Thomas pointed out as he moved down the stairs. James followed him as the man found his maid cleaning the silver wear in the dining room. "Gert, Maria has requested your presence upstairs." Thomas told the maid who nodded her head and moved past the two men to go join the girls upstairs.

He had to admit to himself that ever since he had hired a maid, he couldn't help but be disappointed every time he recalled that Gert wasn't Sally. She was no slave, she was paid help. Sally was a slave who he could never take to a free state. Not after she almost didn't return to him back to America when she had the chance to be free in France.

James sighed as he studied his friend. "You don't have to worry. This was the right choice. I mean, you enjoy Eliza's company, do you not? Who's to say that Philip isn't like his mother?" He suggested, knowing he had no reason to doubt the young boy just yet. The man was smart enough not to have a temper that affected his judgment and he knew that he only hated men once he learned their true character.

The true character of Alexander Hamilton was reckless and dangerous. But James had no way of telling who the young boy would grow up to be, especially since he hardly spent any time with the nine year old.

"Eliza isn't related to any Hamilton, only married to one and that was her own mistake. Maybe the only mistake she has ever made in her entire life. One I don't want Lucy to make." Thomas said, a little worried. He had already lost one daughter away to marriage, but Thomas was actually friends with the family his daughter married into. He didn't think he could handle if Lucy ever married into Alexander Hamilton's family.

"Lucy is a smart girl, Thomas. You don't have to worry about her." At least, that's what James hoped would be true. Thomas nodded his head briefly towards his friend but his slight nerves over it still showed. Silence fell between the two men as they waited for the young girl to join them.

It didn't take long luckily for Maria to dress her sister into her ideal image. Just as the carriage pulled up outside, James went to open the door. Thomas walked towards the door just as he heard footsteps coming from upstairs. The man turned around to see Maria and Gert running down the stairs with bright smiles on her face. Maria reached the bottom of the stairs first, a bounce in her step as she looked to her maid before both of them gestured up at the same time.

"Presenting Miss Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson!" Both of them called, the twelve year old giggling a little with excitement as she presented her younger sister. Lucy took hesitant steps when her name was called, mostly because she felt ridiculous that Maria had insisted on such a grand introduction when she had just put on a dress and Gert had pulled her curly hair into a high bun.

Lucy appeared at the top of the stairs, feeling a lack of enthusiasm that the other two had shown went announcing her. Thomas's eyes softened at the sight of his youngest daughter. She was wearing one of her good dresses, one that he had purchased on their return from France. It was a pale pink, but matched her skin tone perfectly. The bun was a nice choice too, as Maria had given her one of her necklaces to wear.

She made her way down the stairs and reached her father's side. "I'm ready." She told him with a small smile, a little uneasy that she was going to see Philip again. Lucy had always been uneasy whenever she got the chance to see her friend but that was only due to the secrecy they were forced to go through. Now that she was given full permission to see, she didn't know how to feel about this.

"Are you going to bring your violin?" Thomas asked her gently, knowing that the last time that he thought the two children had saw each other that they had been playing together. Lucy nodded her head as she disappeared to go find it. James walked back into the house just as she went off, but he ignored her and looked to Thomas. "Ready?" He asked.

Thomas nodded his head towards his friend,"As ready as I'll ever be." He admitted before looking to Maria. "You're good to watch over Maria for a few hours, yes?" He asked him. James nodded his head, knowing Thomas wasn't really giving him a choice even if he had asked the question.

Maria smirked as she moved to her father's sides. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of Mr. Madison. In fact, we are having our own tea party ourselves." She smirked, knowing that she had neglected to mention that to either of the men. James's face dropped completely at her words, not sure if he could handle that sort of thing with Maria. "Gert, can you go ask Mr. Hemings to prepare us some tea?" She ordered and her maid nodded before heading off to the kitchen.

Lucy walked back into the room with her violin case. "We good to go?" She asked her father who gave her nod. He touched James's shoulder for a moment, knowing how insufferable his middle daughter could be at times. "I'm sorry." Thomas whispered as the man settled into his nightmare. He moved past him towards his daughter and nodded his head. "Yes, come on, we cannot be late. That would be rude towards Mrs. Hamilton." Thomas told her.

She nodded her head in agreement, having no intention of being rude to a woman so nice. "Thank you again for this, Papa... I've actually wanted to see Philip for awhile." She admitted, knowing that she wasn't revealing too much if she acted like she hadn't seen the boy since that night when her father had gotten so angry. Thomas sighed a little before looking over at James.

"Trust me, I take no credit in this." He said before leaving out the door. Lucy held her violin case to her chest, looking over to the other man who was talking to her sister. James noticed her gaze and shifted his gaze to give her a small wave. "Thank you, Uncle James." Lucy smiled genuinely before following her father outside to the carriage.

James smiled a little when she called him that again, and he knew he had made the right choice.

* * *

Eliza had never seen her son so nervous. Philip fussed around the entire morning, playing the piano non-stop just to make sure that it wouldn't fall out of tune in the five minutes he left it in alone between each session. She wanted to stop him, really, but she didn't have the heart to not enjoy how much he was showing how much he cared for Lucy. It was definitely more attention than Alexander was showing her lately, and he lived in the same house.

"Philip, if you keep pacing your feet will fall off." His mother warned him as she set up for tea. Philip paused, looking to her with wide eyes as she was speaking the truth. When Eliza rolled her eyes however, he caught on that she was just kidding about it. "Don't do this to me. Not today. Mr. Jefferson is showing up and the last time I saw him things didn't exactly go well." He pointed out.

She chuckled, knowing her nine year old have every right to be nervous about this, but they had a secret weapon in case anything should break out. Not to mention that her husband had locked himself in his office. There was no way Alexander would ever get out of there when daylight was still out.

"Elizabeth, you might have to restrain your son if he continues like this." Angelica told her younger sister as she moved past her to set a plate of cookies on the table. Eliza sighed at she turned to her sister,"Didn't you hear? Philip has requested we not do this to him." She said, trying to fight a smile. Angelica chuckled as she looked over at her nephew,"Honestly, Philip, _stop_ pacing." She tried.

His aunt's words finally got to him, and he paused in his steps. Eliza's jaw dropped in a light gasp as her gaze turned to her older sister,"How in the world did you mention to do that?" She asked her in shock. Angelica smirked a little as she straightened her posture and shrugged simply. "Maybe he's more frightened of me." Angelica guessed.

The woman frowned before shaking her head. "I'm just as frightening." Eliza pointed out. Angelica placed her hand on her sister's lower back,"I never say I doubted that. But you are also extremely kind, Eliza." She reminded her younger sister just as a knock came to their door. Philip nearly collapsed onto the floor at the sound.

"I'll get it." Eliza said, moving past her sister and son as she made her way to the door to answer it. The woman opened the door, welcoming in the father and daughter with a bright smile. "Welcome, Mr. Jefferson. Miss Jefferson." She said, looking down to the eight year old girl and winking. Lucy had to fight the urge to giggle at the woman's wink, knowing full well what Eliza was winking at.

Thomas smiled politely at Eliza, knowing that he enjoyed Eliza's company much more than he did her spouse's. "Betsey, you're looking as wonderful as ever. Thank you so much for inviting us to your house today–" He paused when he noticed a familiar presence who had joined them right behind Eliza. Thomas grinned at the sight of Angelica. "Angelica!" Thomas said, almost pushing past Eliza to get to her.

Angelica chuckled as she pulled her friend into a tight hug. "Aw, Thomas, you're looking so well since we've last saw each other." The woman complimented when she moved away from the embrace. Her eyes shifted to the young girl at the door. "Lucy, you've grown all up." She told her.

The young girl smiled as Angelica addressed her, and Lucy moved away from the door further into the house when Eliza went to close it. Her eyes went from Angelica to the boy she was so desperate to see but luckily both of them contained their emotions in front of their parents. Thomas couldn't help but notice the boy's presence and he turned to Lucy and lifted his hand to point towards his daughter. "Lucy brought her violin." He informed the boy, a little hesitant to leave his daughter alone with him.

But he knew he didn't have a choice. James spent a lot of time convincing him to give this chance and finally got him up for it. Thomas couldn't back out now at the last minute, especially when Lucy went to all that trouble to get ready for this. He moved aside, sending his daughter a look that it was okay for her to go with him.

She took a hesitant step forward, watching as her father nodded and gestured for her to go. Lucy then took a few more steps, pausing at awkward places before she finally reached Philip. She smiled nervously as she offered him her free hand. Philip looked a little nervous and uneasy as he reached over and took her hand.

"You look nice." He complimented her, and Lucy smiled back at him. "You do too." Lucy told him gently, and the two became awkward as they realized that the other three were focusing all their attention on them. Both of them were desperate to share the reunion fitting of their friendship, but Thomas was oblivious to it. They had to be discreet if they wanted to get away with it all.

Philip and Lucy couldn't keep themselves composed forever though, especially not Lucy. She couldn't contain the giggle that was building up inside her at the sheer thrill that she was seeing her friend with no consequence. However the girl was smart enough to know she couldn't just ask like this without appearing odd to her father, so she pulled Philip away from the three adults, already knowing the way to the piano room.

Angelica was surprised at the sight and moved over to her sister. "Is this what you've been dealing with?" She whispered into her younger sister's ear. Eliza smiled before nodding her head. The woman moved away from her sister to take the arm of Thomas. "Come with us, Thomas, we have lovely tea for you to enjoy this afternoon." Eliza told him and led him towards the sitting room. The other two went to sit down and Eliza moved to the tea pot she had set out, going to pour her guest and her sister tea.

Eliza began pouring the tea for Thomas as he looked to her sister. "You know, I'm still quite angry over the fact you never told me you had such a delightful sister." He joked towards Angelica. She smiled,"I'm sure I mentioned her, maybe to Patsy once. Besides it doesn't even stop at Eliza." The woman explained. Thomas was surprised as he reached for his tea cup when Eliza had finished pouring. "Is she serious?" Thomas asked Eliza with a smile.

The woman chuckled with a nod,"And Peggy. We certainly wouldn't be the Schuyler sisters without her to complete us." She replied as she went to pour her sister tea. Thomas smiled when he couldn't help but think of his daughters. The man picked up the tea cup in his hands, his eyes growing a little soft at the sight.

Whenever he had a cup of tea, he couldn't help but think of the moment he discovered his wife's lifeless body.

When the thought of Martha entered his head, it didn't seem to get up as he looked up at the two woman. Lucy had no mother to accompany her to such things. He wondered if things would be different if Martha were still alive.

Maybe they would, because maybe she would disagree with his rivalry with Alexander. Maybe she'd approve of it. Maybe she would be sitting exactly where he was now if she was still alive.

Angelica noticed the look in his eyes, familiar with the man's past troubles from their friendship that they had shared overseas. "Are... are you okay, Thomas?" She asked carefully, tiptoeing over the broken glass of the man's heart. He nodded his head as he forced a small smile on his face. "I'm fine. Tell me, Angelica, what are you doing in America?" Thomas questioned, changing the conversation.

"Running away for the summer." The woman answered, smiling over to her sister.

* * *

"Can't you go away?" Philip asked his little sister, trying to keep his cool as he stared at her. The problem was that despite the fact Angie was his sister and he loved her dearly, she suffered from this annoying tendency where she had to be the most important person in the room. The boy hadn't even gotten the chance to spend five minutes alone with Lucy before she showed up and decided to steal the girl away from him.

Angie paused in her playing, whipping her head around to look at her older brother with a raised brow. " _Excuse me?_ " She raised a single brow and stared him down like there was no tomorrow. For a six year old she could be so commanding. It often reminded the boy of his father whenever he went to discipline him. Even if he was the one telling her to leave, without Lucy there Angie would've kicked him out in less than ten seconds.

"If I had known I'd be fought over like a doll today, I wouldn't have come at all. This is hardly the behavior expected of good hosts." Lucy pointed out as she lowered her violin, and Philip couldn't help but beam at her. She never failed to impress him at how clever she could be. Angie looked slightly offended as her pride took a blow, and the girl pushed herself off the bench.

She dusted off her skirt a little and stuck her chin up. "My apologies, Lucy." The girl bowed her head politely to the older girl before looking to Philip. Angie sent him a tiny glare as she turned away from Lucy, knowing the girl couldn't see her expression from where she was standing. "Philip, please entertain our guest. Don't you dare bore her." She warned.

Philip was surprised as her warning sounded so much like a threat.

Lucy couldn't help but chuckle when his sister left the room. "Your sister is great." She told him, and he was surprised at how honest she sounded about it. "You really think she is great? She barged in here and demanded to play with you. Not to mention she was fussing over your playing because it wasn't up to her standards." He pointed out, a little offended that his sister acted that way in front of his friend.

The girl shrugged her shoulders,"I think it's because she reminds me of Polly." She admitted. Philip smiled a little before chuckling,"Does that mean your sister is insufferable too?" He questioned. "You have no idea, but I love her anyway, because I know she'd do anything for me. Just like your sister would for you." Lucy said, and he had to admit he knew she was right. Angie was annoying sometimes but she never failed to show how much she loved him.

She went to sit down and Philip smiled as he was finally getting what he wanted, time to talk with her.

"I've been meaning to ask, how do you feel about this? Forbidden friendship turned... not forbidden friendship?" He felt a little awkward when the words left his mouth but he felt the need to say it. The boy sat down next to her, looking at her gently.

Lucy considered his words for a moment,"I'm not quite sure. My father still hates you, so don't be so certain this will become a usual occurrence." She pointed out, knowing that Philip was still on thin ice in the eyes of Thomas Jefferson.

His gaze dropped when he realized she was right. This situation couldn't be permanent and they were still no safer in being together. "I won't let him take you away from me." Philip whispered suddenly. He sounded so determined that it made Lucy's heart squeezed at his declaration that he'd fight for her. But being the child she was, the girl laughed a little.

"I'm sure you're quite the match for my father, Philip." She teased him. Philip rolled his eyes as she linked her arm with his and leaned her cheek on his shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll be okay from now on, won't we?" Lucy asked him, peering up at him with soft eyes.

Philip nodded his head with a small smile. "We shall."

* * *

 **A/N: Okay... sadness time. Sadness history time for a little facts about Thomas Randolph Jr. (Patsy's hubbie). The couple did have twelve children together, and eleven which survived into adulthood (Patsy had surprisingly healthy pregnancies, she was totally badass at them). But the sad part came into their later life together, when financial struggle hit Tom hard. He was left to pay off his father's debts, and had to help out his younger siblings. His father was kind of a jerk to him also, mostly because he married a younger woman and had a son with her, naming him after himself just like he did with Tom. He was basically erasing his first son from his previous marriage. Ouch. The debts Tom tried to pay off caused him so much stress that he would get very angry and have fits of temper. He turned to alcohol as well, and was said to have become a little mentally unstable. Eventually Patsy left him to go live with his daughter. Luckily though, the couple got back together shortly before Tom died.**

 **Your daily history lesson about the Jefferson family was just delivered. If you guys find these annoying, please tell me. I won't be mad. I'm only doing them because I really enjoy history and some of you guys seem to be interested in finding this stuff out.**


	8. Maddening

**A/N: It's history time with your (hopefully) favorite writer! (Hahaha, probably not I'm jk here) Anyways, fun historical facts about Jefferson and why he quit as secretary of state. He quit in 1793, seeking to return to a private life and most likely boost his political status back in Virginia. Not to mention Jefferson cared so much about France and like no one else did. People fought him on every corner about the issue of France going to war to Britain, even the French Revolutionary envoy because the guy openly hated Washington. In Hamilton, we first learn about his resignation in One Last Time but in reality Washington was in office until 1797. But I decided to do something a little like One Last Time because I thought it would be fun. :D**

* * *

 _ **Winter 1793**_

For a while, Philip and Lucy were okay. Their friendship continued to flourish under the encouragement of Eliza, the caution of Alexander, and the displeasure of Thomas. A much as Lucy's father continued not to be happy about the situation, the young girl was constantly lucky for the people in her life who fought for her right to choose. If she wanted to be Philip's friend, she would, and there was nothing Thomas Jefferson could do to stop that.

And he didn't at first. He knew there was no stopping whatever connection that was formed during the children's first meeting, and he reluctantly chose to accept it. After he accepted it, everyone believed that the burning freud between two men would never get between the children again.

Those who believed that were fools.

Lucy didn't even expect it too. She thought her father would be the one to tear a rift between her and her friend once again. The young girl had never expected the person to tear them apart would be Alexander Hamilton.

He had always been nice to her in the past, complimenting her reading and writing skills like his son often did. Alexander enjoyed Lucy because she never shied away from stating her opinion on things, which made the man proud to see such a young person already standing by their beliefs. The man would never intentionally hurt Lucy or his son, and he didn't. But in order to win wars, there must be casualties.

Or rather, to avoid wars, there must be casualties.

"Thomas Jefferson resigned this morning." Normally, hearing this from the president would've made Alexander a happy man. In fact, it did thrill him just the tiniest bit. He even jumped too eagerly at the chance of slandering the man he hated so much in the press with seemingly no consequences.

George Washington was never impressed with his friend's need to destroy his opponent's completely, and had to continue to interrupt the secretary to get him to stop with the idea. "Alexander, please stop." The president's calm tone was somehow enough to get the other man to shut up. Alexander paused suddenly when he noticed the disappointment in his superior's tone.

The man had to take a slow breath and had to calm down his excitement for a moment. When Alexander collected himself, he cleared his throat and tried to move past the fact he had just sounded like an overexcited child at the news. "This is good though. Thomas Jefferson was nothing but difficult when it came to making decisions around here. He was impossible to work with and our country is better without him as secretary of state." Alexander decided, probably too quickly without realizing what it meant.

"Jefferson... has always been an acquired taste, but I can't help think that this might be your fault." George admitted to the other man. Originally, Alexander would've been completely fine with that fact, but the way the president mentioned it didn't seem like he should be fine with it. "What do you mean?" Alexander questioned.

He was still as he watched the president move from his desk to stare out a window. That was never a good sign. "His heart was in the right place, Alexander. He spent quite some time in France, getting to know its people and their cause. All of his daughters practically grew up there." George began, but the man didn't even have to finish for Alexander to suddenly realize the gravity of the situation.

 _Daughters_. The man he loathed so much was not alone. He had daughters, and had Lucy, and Philip had Lucy. And Alexander knew fully well that his son intended to keep it that way. But the only thing binding Thomas Jefferson here was his job as secretary of state. It didn't matter if Lucy had become bound to Philip, she would go with her father and she would have no control over it.

"Alexander, what I'm trying to say is that you went too far. I hope you at least have the decency to realize that you're not the only one who fought him on this matter. He's been facing backlash from both sides and when he came to me exhausted with this defeat I did not blame him." He explained. Alexander remained painfully quiet the entire time the president talked to him, but finally instead of letting George go on more, he finally spoke up.

"Why are you telling me this?" Alexander wondered. George knew that the man would never be likely to sympathize for the likes of Thomas Jefferson. The president frowned when he noticed the man was not getting his point, and he realized that Alexander might never understand. George sighed and gestured towards the door.

"Go home."

"But–"

"Alexander, _go home_. We can all survive without you for one day, and you need to think of what you have done. You may have been right, Alexander, but being right is not about winning. It is not about completely wrecking your opponent. When you are right, that should be enough. You shouldn't have to say anything else, but you always do." He never expected to feel so scolded by the president. It reminded some of the conversations Alexander had whenever he disciplined his children.

Instead of saying anything else, and making it worse, Alexander did exactly what he was ordered to do. He went home.

* * *

Philip would swear he would've frozen to death if she had made him wait any longer. He hadn't thought of bringing out his winter coat, despite the thick white layer of snow that laid on the ground. The eleven year old was convinced that because he was waiting behind his house for Lucy to arrive, he wouldn't get too cold waiting for her.

But she was late. She was set to arrive a few hours prior and Philip didn't dare go back inside when she didn't show up right away. He hadn't told his mother or even any of his siblings about the arrival of his friend. Philip was too afraid to mention it when he got Lucy's letter.

When she did arrive, he was thoroughly chilled to the bone. He was shivering when she appeared with her older sister, Maria. The minute that his eyes had set on her though, Philip had completely forgotten about the cold temperature in the air and broke out into a run.

The eleven year old tripped in the thick snow, but caught himself before he fell face-first into the snow. He reached Lucy with no more hiccups in his run and pulled her into a tight hug. Maria watched them with sorrowful eyes, the fifteen year old girl knowing that this might be the last time they would see each other. Not to mention she couldn't help but feeling guilty.

Going home would mean she would be reunited with John, but Lucy would not be so lucky. She would be parted with her dearest friend.

"I'm so sorry, Philip. We had troubles on the road." She apologized as she pled her case to the younger boy. Maria then turned to her sister as the girl pulled away from the boy's embrace. "Lucy... you won't have very much time with him. I'll wait by the carriage and come get you when it's time to leave." Maria informed her sister.

She then turned on her heels and headed back off in the direction she came from. Philip hadn't focused too much when he first saw Lucy, mostly due to the fact the cold was messing with his senses. Being close to the other eleven year old however made him realize she was crying.

"You didn't change his mind, did you?" Philip was afraid when he asked her, even more afraid of her answer. When the girl didn't immediately respond with the reply he desperately wished for, Philip realized that she hadn't had the luck both of them hoped.

Lucy's lips quivered as she couldn't find the emotional strength to stand anymore. The girl dropped onto the thick snow, ignoring how it would probably ruin her dress. When they had first met, Philip recalled she had cared so much about that. But now she didn't even notice it.

Philip plopped himself down next to her, putting his palms onto the snow despite the fact his fingers were already pink from the cold. "But... but I won't let him take you away from me. I can't let him take you away from me." He whispered more to himself than he did to Lucy. The girl had caught it despite his hushed voice. Lucy was about to respond when she noticed how cold her friend looked.

The girl shed her wool scarf before wrapping it around him. Lucy reached her fingers into the boy's curly hair, chuckling weakly as she dusted some snowflakes that collected in his roots. "You're cold. Come closer." She instructed, taking a hold of his shoulders and guiding the boy so he sat closer to her. Philip was thankful for the scarf but he couldn't believe she was bothering for his well being when they were being separated.

"I don't care about the cold. How can I care about the cold when you're leaving? I care about _you_. You're my best friend, Lucy. You can't leave me." He took a hold of her hand, getting more urgent with each word he spoke. Lucy couldn't handle seeing him this way, only because she knew that there was no way he wouldn't be hurt in this. There was no way she wouldn't be hurt.

She frowned as she moved her hand away from his, and settled herself onto her side despite the snow. Philip was confused by her actions until he heard her crying again. The boy laid down besides her, and even though she was moved covered up than he was at the moment, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. He didn't care if he was cold. He cared if she was though.

Nothing was said between them while Lucy softly sobbed, and the two children laid in the snow. There was a brief moment of content that settled between them. Because for one moment, each of them briefly forgot that this might be the last time they see each other.

"It was never going to last." Lucy realized, making the mistake of saying her thoughts out loud. Philip wasn't happy about her words and gripped onto her shoulder to roll her around. Lucy nearly rolled into his face, but pushed back against the snow to distance herself so she wouldn't when he flipped her over. "How can you say that?" The boy asked, clearly offended by her words.

Lucy shrugged her shoulders a little as she averted his intense gaze. She didn't know how to answer him in a way that wouldn't completely ruin herself in his eyes. The girl couldn't handle leaving at all if she left with him hating her. "Just... think about it. The first moment we met– maybe... maybe we never were meant to be friends. Maybe we should've hated each other like our fathers do." She fumbled through the words, taking awkward pauses as she continued to avoid his eyes.

Philip reached over and cupped her face too harsh for it to be intimate. In all honesty, the eleven year old boy was trying to settle her eyes. It seemed to work because Lucy suddenly met his eye contact. "The first moment we met... I never hated you. And I know you never hated me. When you got mad... I thought you did. But now I know you don't." He whispered.

His voice was so soft, and so convincing. Lucy wanted to believe him with all her heart, but Philip only managed to convince a small part of her.

"I–I don't hate you, Philip Hamilton. That's true. But I am still mad at you. I'm mad that you're taller than me. I'm mad that you never return the books I lend to you. I'm mad that you always change the line. I'm mad when you ignore your mother. I'm mad when you think you're smarter than me. I'm mad when you tease me. I'm mad when you don't tease me at all. I'm mad when you're nice and loving. I'm mad that you're not making this any easier. But most of all, I'm mad because you are the most _maddening_ person I have ever met and you had to be my best friend in the whole wide world."

The boy didn't know what to say to her response. Instead he just slowly sat up, finding no words to say to her short speech. Lucy sat up slowly too as she looked at him and waited for a response. Philip looked over at her nervously,"Virginia won't have another Philip Hamilton, will it?" He asked her gently, trying to play the question off a loose joke despite the fact it clearly carried most of his worries. Lucy's eyes flew down to her hands as she grew more sorrowful at his question. "Not even close." She replied quietly.

"Well, this place won't even come close to having another Lucy Jefferson either."

At his response, the eleven year old girl shivered not due to the cold but due to how her heart seized up at his words. Lucy didn't know what came over her as she reached over and grabbed Philip by the scarf she had placed on his neck. The girl pressed her lips quickly to his before pulling away abruptly.

Philip didn't even have a chance to react. Or hold her. As soon as she kissed him, the only thing he did was close his eyes as she did when she rushed to lean in. The boy fell back against his palms in the snow as his mind slowly adjusted to what had happened.

Before he could say anything in response, or for Lucy to speak up, a voice broke them up. "Lucy!" Maria cried for her sister, and Philip watched as the girl rushed to her feet. He stood up quickly and took a hold of her elbow before the girl could leave him.

"Lucy, please don't leave." He begged. Lucy met his eyes for a moment as a tear trailed down her cheek. She smiled weakly as she looked into his eyes. "Promise you'll write to me, Philip." She said first, urging him to answer this because it was the one thing she needed him to say to get through their separation. "I promise." Philip answered immediately, not missing the urgency in the young girl.

She broke away from his grip as soon as he promised that to her. "Keep the scarf." Lucy whispered and ran away from him. The girl nearly tripped into the snow as she took off so fast. Maria took a hold of her younger sister's hand as soon as Lucy reached her. Philip watched as the girls took off, a numb look on his face while his heart swelled with grief at the departure.

When he made his way inside, he finally let himself show his emotion on his face. That shocking kiss couldn't stop it forever, and Philip began to cry. He was so cold at this point that he didn't make it too far into the house before collapsing onto his knees. Every part of him ached and he wasn't sure if it was physical or emotional anymore. His little brother, Alex, was the first one to find him. Which wasn't exactly the best experience for the seven year old.

* * *

Alexander knew things would be bad when he got home, but he had never imagined things to be _this_ bad.

The first sight that greeted him when he arrived wasn't a good one. Normally it might warm his heart to see his children playing together, but there was something clearly wrong with this scenario. "Angie, why are you holding the baby?" Alexander tried to keep his cool when talking to his nine year old, but he couldn't help but think that Angie was not old enough for the responsibility of her little brother.

She raised her brows at him, whipping her head around to look at her father as she held John in her lap. Even if her father had used a gentle tone, she still looked offended over the fact he had questioned her at all over this. "He's fine. He loves me. And it's not like I'm going to treat him like a doll. Right, boys?" Angie looked to her two younger brothers who were peacefully playing by her feet with their toys. Being the third oldest, Alex shifted his gaze from his brother, James, to his father.

"Philip's dying." The seven year old spoke up, confusing the five year old besides him. Alexander's jaw dropped as he looked to his daughter for an explanation. Angie just bounced the infant on her new, making John let out an airy and light chuckle. The girl pressed her cheek next to the one year old's face, noticing her father's eyes on her right then. She turned her and the baby to look at him.

He didn't know whether to be amused, concerned, or really _really_ concerned.

Angie didn't know what to say at first but she looked to her brother before nodding at Alex. "Philip's dying." She agreed finally, which made her father shove the palm of his hand onto his face. "You two are not being serious right now! I need you to tell me what's going on!" He tried to sternly address his children, but that only made James giggle. The five year old fell onto his back into a fit of giggles. "Philip's dead!" He shouted.

The act made his other siblings grin, and a matching giggle came from the youngest of them who was perched on Angie's lap. Alexander looked at his children and fought back a groan. He should've seen this coming when he decided to procreate. Philip always laughed too much as a baby, and it was no different for each children that followed him.

"You know what? No more John." Alexander decided, taking the infant from Angie's lap. All three children rushed up to their feet and shook their heads in unison. John was so young that they all barely got to spend any time with the baby. "No, Daddy, please I promise I'll be good with him!" Angie protested. John's earlier giggles died down as he began to fuss from being in his father's arms. Alexander was surprised, when he shouldn't have been. It's not like he held John that often for the one year old to be used to him.

But still, he was his father. Shouldn't that count for something?

Alexander couldn't help but be overwhelmed with John as the baby continued to cry, and so he reluctantly placed the care of the child back to his daughter. "Thank you, Daddy. Philip's in his room by the way." She informed him before taking her place back into her chair with her youngest brother. "Angie!" Alex protested, and the nine year old simply stuck out her tongue at the seven year old. Her father pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head, glad that he was assured once more that she was his girl, before he disappeared up the stairs.

When Alexander reached his son's room, he suddenly understood why the children were so insistent their older brother was dead.

He found his son already dressed for bed and tucked into his covers. Philip was sweating, potentially hot with fever which spiked concern in the man. A bowl of untouched soup sat in a tray by his bedside, still warm but no longer letting off steam. Eliza sat on the side of the boy's bed, arms wrapped around her eldest child. She was shushing him as the boy cried into her lap. Her fingertips danced around his hair softly and smoothed down any pain he felt as they whisked themselves between his curls.

It reminded Alexander of his mother. He was not much older than Philip was at that moment when his mother held him in the same way, the only difference was that his mother was in a fever as hot as he was. And it wasn't until the morning came that her fever exceeded his. Tears pricked at the man's eyes at he looked to his wife.

Eliza was saying words similar to what his mother once told him when she had held onto him all those years ago. "I'm right here, Philip. It's okay. You're okay. You're going to be okay. You're so strong. You are so strong, Philip. I'm right here. I'm not going anything." Eliza whispered as she looked down at her son. Philip didn't say anything, just clenched his hand in the material of her dress. The woman looked up when she noticed that someone had opened the door. The moment her eyes met her husband's, Alexander did shed a tear.

She mistook his sadness, straightening her posture from her sitting position. "He's going to be fine, Alexander." The woman assured him, thinking that he was worried for their son. While Alexander was concerned for Philip, it wasn't the reason behind his tear. Alexander had mentioned his mother to his wife before, but there was a certainty that he could never fully open up to her on what it was like to have family die right in front of you. She didn't need to be burdened with that kind of pain.

Alexander nodded his head as he made his way closer to the bed. Philip looked up weakly at his father,"Pa." He mumbled the word but the boy raised a smile onto his face which warmed his father's heart. He took a few steps forward and came to the other side of Philip. Alexander met his wife's eyes, silently questioning her for an explanation.

"This strong and beautiful fool spent the entire day out in the cold." Eliza ran her hand through her son's curls once again, but her words earned a look from Philip. Even if he was falling under the weather, he could still be embarrassed. Eliza had to suppress an eye roll at the ridiculous look the eleven year old was giving her. She instead settled her eyes on a certain scarf that was draped over the chair to her son's desk. "He would've frozen to death if someone hadn't graciously saved him." She was exaggerating, but Philip was so chilled when they found him it felt like the truth.

He followed her line of sight to the scarf and Alexander had to pause for a moment because while he did recognize the scarf he could not remember who it belonged to. At first, he suspected Angie but then the truth hit him in the face when he looked back to his son. "Lucy." Alexander whispered.

Philip couldn't help but get a bad taste in his mouth when his father uttered her name. The girl's goodbye had been so rushed that he barely felt he had enough time to get closure. If Philip was to never see Lucy ever again in his entire life, that would've been a terrible way to end things. Even if he did get a kiss, he wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"Son, I'm so sorry you had to find out this way–" "Find out what way?" Philip cut his father off, which surprised Alexander. He didn't expect the boy to sound so angry when he looked so small tucked underneath his covers. Eliza studied her husband's face before she realized what Alexander was trying to say. "Please don't tell me you knew." She begged him.

When her husband turned to look at her face, Eliza frowned and took a hold of her son's hand. She muttered a small apology into the boy's ear as she pulled him closer. "You both don't understand. I only found out today that Jefferson quit–" "Was this your fault, Pa?" Alexander definitely wasn't prepared to get cut off twice by his son, but he was even more unprepared by the tone of voice Philip used.

Before he had been angry, now he was hurt.

"Philip, it isn't like that–" "But it is... isn't it?"

"No, if you would just let me explain–" "You hated him."

"You don't understand, I never wanted–" "You wanted him gone."

"Philip, please, I didn't mean–" "You're the reason that I can't be with her."

"What? Philip– _no_!"

The boy finally stopped cutting him off, but the silence that followed him was worst than the maddening interruptions the eleven year old pushed onto the man. Alexander realized that he couldn't do anything to make this better in his son's eyes, and he looked at Eliza desperate for her aid.

Eliza looked down at her son, realizing soon that he wanted to be left alone. She reluctantly removed herself from the boy's side and sent Alexander a glare that meant for him to do the same. "Don't forget to eat your soup." Eliza reminded Philip as she led her husband to the door of the boy's room.

She let her husband leave the room first despite the fact Alexander didn't want to leave things unsettled like this, and closed the door behind her. Eliza took a few steps away from the boy's door before finally deciding to speak up. "Did you do this, Alexander?" She asked weakly, not wanting to think that her husband was capable of hurting their son like that.

Alexander struggled to find the right words to say. The worst part about all of this is that he didn't feel like he did anything wrong, but at the very least he knew he did. "I... I may have had a part in this, yes." He admitted. Eliza didn't expect to grow so angry at the man she loved but she found herself whacking his shoulder with the back of her hand. "Alexander!" She scolded, glaring at him.

He met her eyes, instantly apologetic. It softened her features when she noticed he felt sorry about what had happened, and the woman decided to cool on him. "Lucy is his best friend. Seeing her is always the best part of his day. He enjoys her company more than he does any of his siblings, and maybe even you and me. Alexander... he _loves_ her." She told him. Alexander was quite aware that the friendship between the two children was intense, strong, and sickening sweet at times.

Philip and Lucy had all the signs of childhood sweethearts, and when the reminder of that came into the man's head he couldn't stop what came out of his mouth next.

"Maybe this is a good thing." He said softly which made Eliza's eyes shoot wide open at she stared at her husband in shock. " _What_?" The woman demanded for justification to his outrageous claim. Alexander wasn't sure if he wanted to kindle Eliza's fury, but he needed to stand by what he thought to be true. "I was never going to let Philip grow up to marry into that family. Just think of what Jefferson's wedding present would be! Slaves! Now, I know Lucy might be smart. She's one hell of a reader, but she's too much like her–" "Father?" "Yes! And Philip needs someone who isn't at all like–"

"Thomas Jefferson." Eliza finished him again, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at her husband. The look on her face reminded him of a similar look that she gave to their children whenever they misbehaved. She was disappointed in him. Alexander was a little hurt to realize that. "Would it kill you to admit the only fault you could ever find in that little girl is the fact that her father is Thomas Jefferson?" She asked him, raising both her brows.

It wasn't rhetorical. She honestly wanted him to answer it, but Alexander couldn't answer it. Not truthfully. Because if he did he would be lying no matter what answer he gave her.

Alexander gave her an apologetic look when he realized he was being selfish, and she didn't deserve that. Philip didn't deserve that. "I'm sorry." He whispered, taking a step closer and hesitatingly leaning forward to press his head against hers. Eliza sighed as she let him near, staying still as his lips brushed against her cheek. "I really wished sometimes you weren't so... you." Eliza commented, earning a smirk from her husband.

"Please, 'me' is the person you fell in love with. And I'm going to fix this. I promise." He told her, meeting her eyes. Eliza really wanted to believe him, but she knew the man Thomas was. He was firm in his beliefs just like her husband was, and she couldn't believe that out of all the people on this Earth that Alexander Hamilton could convince Thomas Jefferson to stay. It was impossible.

Eliza leaned in closer, touching noses with him. "Don't make promises you can't keep, but if you come home and our son's childhood best friend is still moving away to Virginia– you're not getting dinner." The woman threatened, almost scaring her husband with the look in her eyes. She closed the small gap between their lips and kissed him gently before pulling away. Alexander didn't know whether to be worried or relieved when she smiled at him before disappearing down the hall to collect their other children.

The man looked back to the closed door of Philip's room, and he knew he had to make it right. But was it even possible that he could?

* * *

"What in the world are you doing here?"

It wasn't the most encouraging responses Alexander was hoping for, but at least Thomas hadn't kicked him out onto the streets immediately. Alexander cleared his throat as he began to start his apology. He spent the entire trip over to the man's house forming the perfect apology that didn't really include Alexander ever apologizing for his behavior. Mostly due to the fact that Alexander was not sorry for the way he acted, but he needed the man to stay.

Only because of his daughter. He couldn't care less about Thomas but his daughter was a different story. Lucy needed to be in Philip's life, or apparent as it was it seemed that Philip would grow sick and die without the girl.

"No one is happier than me to have you leave." Alexander entered the man's house, pushing past Thomas and roughly pushing against him with his shoulder. It was probably not the best way to start his convincing argument, but he promised himself and his wife he would fix things. Alexander wasn't going to leave the house until he did fix things. Or until he was thrown out.

Thomas raised his brows,"Did you honestly come all this way to insult me in my own home? I expect quite a lot of things from you, Hamilton, but nothing this low." The man commented as he glared at Alexander. He looked a little bewildered to see the man he hated the most at his door this late into the night, not to mention he was already in disarray. Lucy was livid when he came home and Thomas didn't know if he could deal with Alexander when he felt so sore.

For an eleven year old girl, Lucy had managed to pelt him viciously with books the minute he entered her room.

"Yes. Yes, I've come to insult you. What makes you think you have the right to quit? To just give up? You made my life the living hell every cabinet meeting and you think you can just quit? After everything you put me through? You've been so stubborn about everything and you choose now to let me have my way." Alexander snapped, clearly not seeing that his plan to not apologize at all was a seriously flawed one. Though, he hoped if that he had managed to challenge Thomas enough, the man would decide to stay and fight back.

It was a risky chance to take, but Alexander cared too much about his pride to ever admit he was wrong. Luckily for him, Thomas grew angry. He was starting to think it might actually work, which left him unprepared for what happened next. Instead of yelling at him like Alexander was pegging for, he had to endure watching the Virginian cry.

That was definitely not the reaction Alexander was working towards.

He watched as the man tried to contain himself from resorting to tears in front of his mortal enemy. Thomas pressed his hands over his eyes, hiding behind his palm even though sniffles could still be heard. "I'm tired, Alexander." He admitted, removing his hand to look at the man. "I'm tired of this fight. I– I have too many other things to worry about than spending my time to fight you. I have three girls who've had no mother to look after them. I have two grandchildren." Thomas pointed out.

Sometimes Alexander did forget about the man's personal life. Thomas was older than Alexander, and had already watched his oldest grow up and get married and have children. His own eldest was the same age as Thomas's youngest. Not to mention Alexander often ignored the fact that Thomas had lost his wife, and that his daughters had lost a mother. It was something he couldn't think about when fighting him, otherwise he might actually empathize with him.

"Thomas, I... I need you to stay." Alexander hoped the truth would be a better tactic, and maybe it would get the older man to stop blubbering. "I don't care about you, but I care about my son. And my son cares about your daughter." He told him. Thomas wiped his eyes with his thumb, his sadness fading away with a bubbling anger at the mention of their children's friendship. "I don't care about your son, Alexander. I care about my daughter and she might think she needs him but I _know_ she doesn't." He said firmly.

Alexander rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Because you know what's best for her so well? Coming from a man who wrote that 'every man is created equal' yet he still owns slaves?" He narrowed his eyes, and Thomas grew more angry. But this wasn't the anger that Alexander was looking for. Thomas looked prepared to kill him, not challenge him. There's a difference between a fight and being out for blood.

The man pushed Alexander back, his eyes glaring furiously through him. "You don't get to come into my house and do this to me, Hamilton! Their friendship means nothing! Just like you and Lafayette! He once told me of a brave soldier who promised to join him in the battle for his country and look at you now! Philip will do the same to Lucy and you know it!" Thomas yelled at him.

He hated the fact that Thomas decided to use Lafayette against him. Before he was Thomas's friend, he was Alexander's friend. The man would never let him use that against him. When he mentioned Philip though, Alexander lost it. It was one thing to accuse him of abandoning his friend, but another to accuse that of his son. He loved his son and he wouldn't just stand there and let Thomas not only degrade him but Philip as well.

Not a moment was wasted before Alexander pushed back, and said something he would regret. "Philip would never do that to Lucy! He has already fought against your stubbornness and I have been twice the man you will ever be and didn't stand in their way when all they wanted to do what see each other! I helped! All you did was keep them apart!" Alexander shouted, only realizing what he did when it was too late.

 _Oh no._

"What are you talking about?" Thomas questioned, clearly confused. Alexander looked ashamed of himself that he let his temper fly off the handle so far. "I– I didn't mean anything by it–" " _Hamilton_." Before he could even catch himself in a lie that would cover it up, Thomas stopped him and glared right through his attempt. Alexander swallowed a lump in his throat, knowing that he had failed his son and his wife. "Philip and Lucy– they, uh... they saw each other behind your back. With the help of me, my wife, and your daughter, Maria." Alexander said truthfully, knowing that this truth would be too hard for the other man to swallow.

Thomas nearly stumbled back at the truth. He expected deceit from Alexander, but not from Eliza. Eliza was his friend. He didn't expect deceit from his two daughters, Maria and Lucy. He loved them and he couldn't imagine them lying to him like that. "How long?" Thomas asked in a whisper.

Alexander frowned at the man before deciding it was the best idea to answer. "The night you came over for dinner was the start of it." He told him. Thomas's jaw dropped when the truth dawned of him at how long the deceit lasted. It infuriated him but most of all, he felt like a fool.

"A YEAR?!" Thomas's voice was so loud, that this time his two daughters heard him from all the way upstairs in their room. They had no idea what he was yelling about because the closed door muffled the exact words he was saying. Thomas looked back to his front door before he pushed Alexander again, this time towards the exit. "Get the fuck out of my house, Hamilton!" He yelled at him.

He didn't even had to fight back, as he tripped over his own feet and landing on to his behind as Thomas shut the door on him. Alexander had _literally_ been thrown out of the man's house. He struggled to think of what to tell of Eliza about what happened, and he could never imagine telling Philip the truth about ruining the boy's chance at seeing Lucy again.

Maria and Lucy came outside of their room, immediately running down the stairs as Thomas looked at the closed front door with a huff of anger. When he looked back at the two girls, they both stared at him with wide eyes when they reached the bottom of the stairs. Thomas expected for his anger to grow at the sight of them, since he now knew their deceit. But his heart was tired and he couldn't find it in himself to yell at them. They were not the real problem here. Alexander was.

Thomas took a few steps, his eyes catching Lucy's. She was so short and so young, and the man dropped to his knees and took her hands into his. "I know you're still probably angry with me. But– Lucy, I don't want to be the bad guy anymore. I know I've taken you away from the only homes you've ever known. Eppington. France. Now I'm taking you away from here... but Monticello is your true home. So don't think of it as moving away from your home, think of it as coming home, Lucy." His voice was so gentle when he spoke to her, Lucy didn't know how to react.

She didn't say anything at first, just let the tears come to her eyes and escape down her cheeks. "Papa... I... I want to find home. I do. I'm not sure what that is though." Lucy admitted. Philip felt like home, but he could never be. Not when their fathers hated each other.

"I'm home. Your sisters are home. As long as you are with as, you'll always be home, Lucy." He assured the girl, before looking to Maria. He let go of one of Lucy's hands before extending his arm to the teenager. Maria smiled sadly as her father pulled her and her younger sister into a tight hug and the family embraced each other in a soft silence.


	9. Burn

**A/N: Time for one of my favorite historical facts about the Hamilton and Jefferson feud. So according to a credible history professor, Hamilton really liked to push Jefferson's buttons and get him all sputtering and mad. Alexander Hamilton literally liked to just say things to anger Thomas Jefferson. So the two men were having a conversation about the greatest men who ever lived and Jefferson explained that his three choices were Bacon, Newton, and Locke. Hamilton then proceeded to give this obnoxious retort about how Julius Caesar was. He doesn't talk about Caesar in any other of his writings. Hamilton literally only said that to get on Jefferson's nerves. This was great to learn and I hope you guys had a nice laugh learning this one too.**

* * *

 ** _Winter 1793_**

Was she jealous of her older sister? Lucy didn't know exactly if she was. She had never been jealous of Maria before. The older girl had always prided herself into showing off, which would get on the younger girl's nerves but Lucy was never really _jealous_ of her. It didn't matter if Maria had nicer dresses because that was something the teenager wanted. Lucy never bothered over that, she was still just a kid after all. Maria was better at needlepoint than she was, but Lucy didn't like the skill mostly because she was so bad at it she would always prick herself with the needle. Maria did have long pin straight black hair that apparently she had gotten from their mother, which Lucy did admit bothered her sometimes. Her older sister had no stress running a comb through her hair.

Meanwhile Lucy struggled with her uncontainable curls which matched that of her fathers and her eldest sister, Patsy.

But the eleven year old girl couldn't deny that when they did pull up to the estate of Eppington, that she felt the tiniest pang of envy deep within her chest when she saw the smile on Maria's face. While the fifteen year old was being reunited with her childhood best friend, Lucy had been torn apart from hers.

The carriage pulled to a stop and Maria didn't hesitate to be the first one to exit. Thomas raised a brow at the teenager's giddiness, but he thought nothing of it. In fact, the man couldn't seem to get his mind off of the revelation that Alexander Hamilton had provided him. It was hard to look Maria or Lucy in the eye after what he found out, mostly because he made the decision to never let either one of them know that he in fact knew what they tried so hard to conceal for him. He still wasn't angry. Thomas kept expecting it to kick in one of these days, but the only anger he felt was still directed towards Alexander.

Lucy wasn't surprised when she exited the carriage to see her cousin waiting outside his door. The twenty year old man nervously paced his porch, hands stuffed into the pocket of his coat. At least he had been smarter than Philip been and actually wore something warm to wait outside in the cold. John didn't notice the carriage at first, seeming to be lost in thought. He was finally awoken at the sound of his name. "John!" Maria cried happily, throwing away the ladylike nature she usually carried as she took off in a sprint towards the house.

He broke out into a smile at the sight of the fifteen year old girl and didn't hesitate to run forward to meet her. The young man practically jumped off his porch, nearly falling over face first into the snow in the process. As soon as he was well balanced again, John ran at Maria. He met the younger girl and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up and spinning her in the process. Maria giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his neck.

"Did I miss something?" Thomas questioned his youngest as he exited the carriage, his eyes watching the reunion a little suspiciously. Lucy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "They have been exchanging love letters for three years." She informed her father. He raised both of his brows at her,"Love?" He was confused. Based on the letters his sister-in-law had sent them, he had always presumed John and Maria were just childhood best friends. When realization hit him, he felt stupid for not realizing it sooner. Maria had always admired him but as she grew older she must've realized it was more than just friendship.

It shocked him to realize she had done that despite them being apart, and had managed it just by letter correspondence.

She suddenly shook her head when she realized that wasn't the exact truth. Lucy liked to say that they were exchanging love letters, only because she could tell by the look on Maria's face at how much she cared about him. Though the fifteen year old was still heavily in denial about using the word 'love' when it came to describing her feelings for John. At least she admitted that her feelings for him had developed from the admiration of a friend to a potential suitor. Maria had a crush on him. She wouldn't deny that. But she would never imagine it going beyond that and never stop to think that he would feel the same way too.

After all when they were kids he loved to tease her. Even if it had been ages since they last saw each other, it didn't seem like that was going away. "I might have to stop calling you gopher." John admitted as he set Maria back down on her feet, pulling away to meet her eyes. Despite the genuine smile on her face, the girl frowned at his use of the nickname he used once when they were kids. He even went to include it in some of his letters. Maria hated that. She believed he could never feel the same way because John loved to rub it in her face that she was younger than him. The girl was convinced she was nothing more than a kid in his eyes and his use of 'gopher' was her proof of that.

Maria smacked the boy with the back of her hand, hitting his shoulder with a surprising amount of force for a young lady. John flinched as she hit him, reflexively lifting both hands to defend himself if another hit came. Lucy hadn't smiled ever since she last Philip. She hadn't even laughed or anything. Her laugh was music to her father's ears as the young girl chuckled at the sight of her older sister whacking their cousin. "At least it's good to see you laugh." Thomas placed his hand on the eleven year old's back.

Lucy suddenly felt guilty when she realized she had laughed. She hadn't felt like doing so ever since they left and she knew it was because she wouldn't see Philip again. Even if she had found Maria's action funny and wanted to laugh, it didn't feel right. The girl couldn't help but wish that her best friend was here, because she knew it would've been better if Philip was there to laugh with her. He'd really get a laugh out of that. She wondered if he had written her a letter, but desperately hoped he would be the first one to send a letter. She didn't know what he thought about her previous action during their last meeting.

It was a kiss. Lucy had no mother to see how married couples acted, but she had seen Eliza give Alexander a kiss. She had seen the way they were in love and she knew what a kiss meant. Her heart warmed at the thought, letting the little girl forget about the cold momentarily. But then the cold consumed her once again when she realized that her and Philip still seemed oceans apart, even if only miles of land separated them.

"There's my little lioness. How are you–" Once Lucy and Thomas had approached the two, John immediately decided to address his youngest cousin. He only cut himself off when he noticed the disappointed look on her face. He was smart enough to notice it was associated with him. John sent a questioning look to Maria who frowned because she knew why her sister looked so down. Lucy hardly replied, instead looked to the house. "It's cold. I'm going inside." Lucy said, her voice painfully monotone as she left the other three outside to enter the house.

John met Maria's eyes before moving closer to talk to her personally. "That's not the vicious two year old I remember." He told the girl, silently asking with his eyes what was wrong with Lucy. Maria frowned as she grabbed a lock of her hair and twirled it between her fingers. She barely met his eyes. "Well, she grew up. She's actually rather kind." Maria admitted before shrugging her shoulders. he could tell she was concerned but hiding it for some reason. She hardly hid things from John. In her letters, she was always so candid about everything going on in her life.

He reached over before taking her hand that was caught up in her locks before moving it away. John lifted his other hand to her cheek before softly smoothing his thumb over the pale surface. "You know you don't have to act like anyone you're not in front of me, right? I've known you since you were a kid. I already know what you're really like." John reminded her, offering her a half-smile. Maria presented herself like a well-dressed lady who seemed inclined to the finer things in life. But he knew her as Polly. The little girl who loved to challenge him despite being half a decade younger. The girl who cared so much about making other people happy. And the girl who cared deeply about her sisters.

Thomas didn't like the way the young man was touching his teenaged daughter. Not to mention he even liked less the way Maria blushed after John's words. "Okay. Okay." Thomas said, intentionally walking between them and breaking up the contact. It's not like he held anything against John, because he was his wife's family and his mother was a nice woman. But he was also five years older than Maria. He was already a young man while she was still a girl just blossoming into a young woman. He wouldn't let anyone deflower her before she was ready for marriage, and fifteen was still too young. She could marry when she was Patsy's age when the older girl got married.

"Young man, if you have intentions over wanting to court my daughter–" "Mr. Jefferson!" John interrupted, his face turning a prominent shade of crimson as he tried to avoid the way Maria had started to smile at him. He was a little embarrassed if he had to admit, mostly because the young man himself hadn't admitted to himself that he had feelings for Maria. The girl had admitted to at least a crush while he couldn't admit anything to himself. "Let me finish." Thomas told him sternly before continuing.

"If you wish to court my daughter, you may." Thomas granted him his permission, which surprised both John and Maria. "Although, because Maria is far younger than you, you must always be supervised by myself, your mother or another adult whom I trust... or Lucy." The man finished. "Or _what_?" Maria demanded, furrowing her brows in confusion as she tried to clarify if her father really just said that he had put an eleven year old in charge of her love life. Maybe she could work that to her advantage, but knowing Lucy, she probably couldn't.

The man raised a brow, know he clearly did not stutter. "You heard me." Thomas adjusted his waistcoat before deciding to get out of the cold. Maria waited until her father made his way over to the porch to address John. She looked over at him using the corners of her eyes. "So... courting." She mentioned.

John nodded his head a little. "Courting." He repeated her words, still watching until her father opened the door and closed it behind him before looking to her. "Are you okay with that? Because I had no intention of it–" He began, stopping when he realized how insensitive that sounded. Maria seemed to take it harshly too even if he hadn't meant it like that. "I didn't mean it like that–" "Then how did you mean it? Because I already know how you must see me, so it won't come as a surprise." Maria crossed her arms over her chest, bitterly retorting as she turned her body to face him.

He tried to fight it, but John scoffed at her remark. "For someone who knows me so well, you have no idea how I truly think about you." He pointed out, matching her movement and crossing his arms over his chest as well. She raised a brow, challenging him. "Really? You're so immature, John Wayles Eppes. You made me promise that we would see each other again, but you still insist on calling me childish things like 'gopher'." She mentioned, still clearly really hung up about the whole gopher thing.

"You're ridiculous, Mary Jefferson." John said, using her true name. He took a step closer and narrowed his eyes,"You want to court me. Don't you?" He turned the tables on her. Maria's confident facade dropped as she shook her head too quickly for it to be true. "What– no– I don't know where you're getting this idea from–" She flustered to get out. John smirked,"It's true. Isn't it? That's why your father mentioned it. Because you want to court me." He took another step closer, staring at her slyly. Maria huffed as she looked at him, but didn't back off. "You want to court me too!" Maria exclaimed, turning the tables once again on him.

The twenty year old coughed a little in surprise, not expecting her to do that. "What– no– I don't know where you're getting this idea from–" He stopped when she started laughing. John didn't realize until she was laughing at him that he responded the same exact way she did. The young man sighed before he uncrossed his arms and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "We're in love with each other, aren't we?" He finally asked. Maria blushed but she nodded her head in agreement. The girl uncrossed her arms before leaning forward. John was close enough to make it easy for her.

She pressed a kiss to his cheek, before pulling away slowly and meeting his eyes. "It feels good to admit it. Like a weight being lifted off my shoulders." Maria confessed as she chuckled a little because she felt so embarrassed to be this close to him. John smiled with a soft blush before nodding his head. She was still younger than him, so he didn't want to push his luck past a kiss on the cheek. He hesitated to say anything, or to even move closer than they were now. Maria furrowed her brows, having expecting him to actually try something.

"John?" She asked. "Yeah?" He answered, raising his brows. "Are you going to kiss me?" The teenager questioned, raising her brows as she didn't break eye contact with him. John got a little nervous as she stared into his eyes, feeling vulnerable as he couldn't look away. "Do you... do you want me to?" John asked carefully. Maria nodded her head a little in reply. He smiled, a little jittery, but when he leaned in he relaxed a little. John pressed his lips to her carefully, almost too delicately.

He didn't expect for the younger girl to take him by the collar of his coat and deepen the kiss.

Lucy lifted the curtain of the window, looking outside to notice Maria and John kissing. If she wasn't sure if she was jealous of her older sister, she knew she was now. Maria got to be with the one she loved from the very beginning. Just like her older sister Patsy. They would get the happiness that she was convinced she would never get. But maybe it was better if she had to fight for someone. Fighting for Philip and their friendship in the beginning was all she needed to know that she really cared about him.

When she noticed her father approaching her, Lucy dropped the curtain before he could see the two of them locking lips outside. Thomas raised a brow at her skittishness,"You're okay, yes?" He asked softly, putting his hand on the girl's shoulder. Lucy nodded her head,"Of course." The eleven year old lied, unable to meet her father's eyes.

* * *

 _ **Winter 1794**_

Being back in Monticello was exactly what Thomas needed.

He had to admit that it was nice being back home in Virginia. After his wife died, he did feel the need to distance himself from the estate because he was convinced that Monticello wasn't the same without Martha. But he made a lot of changes to it in the past few years, trying to recreate some spaces because he didn't feel like they were right anymore. Monticello was new back when he first married Martha. In fact, not all of it had been finished when they did marry. He decided to change it when he realized he wanted a fresh start. Not only for him, but for his daughters. Patsy overlooked most of the new changes, as she was the head of the household while he was away.

Now it felt nice to be the head of his household once more. But that didn't change the fact that he kind of missed having Patsy around. Especially with his two grandchildren. "They're here." Sally appeared at the door of his office, smiling at him small. He had to admit too that it was nice being back with her, no matter how complicated or wrong their relationship was. Sally never failed to remind him of the love he had lost. Whether she liked it or not.

"Thomas Jefferson Jr. is here I presume?" Thomas asked, standing up from his chair which he had invented, a swivel chair that was the first of its kind. The slave raised her brows and gave him a disapproving look. "I warned the mistress that naming her son after you would only go to your head." Sally rolled her eyes when Thomas approached her with a cocky grin on his face. The older man pressed a kiss to the young woman's forehead, a small affectionate action he had been giving her a lot when no one else was around. He must've really missed her.

But Sally only missed Lucy, and was more than content with her being back. Even if the girl somehow wasn't the same as when she left for New York.

Sally's eyes caught something on the man's desk and paused before he could join his family. Thomas was surprised when he took her hand, knowing he was always more forward than she ever was. "I thought we agreed that since it is a new year, you would sort through that. You can't leave it there forever. You have to sort through it." Sally scolded him as she gestured to the pile of papers that had built up on his desk. "I– I will." Thomas lied and for the first time, the twenty year old girl saw through it. She hadn't seen through them before, but she expected the fact that she could now was a sign that she was finally maturing. Sally might not have the free will but she knew she could start making a few of her own choices from now on. And this would be one of them.

There was no way she would allow him to go into some sort of slump from being out of the political life ever since he quit his job. Thomas liked to say he was glad to be back home but she knew the man. She knew how he cared more about his job sometimes than he did about his children. The complete switch wouldn't throw her off. If something was wrong, Sally would detect it. Not for her sake, or even his, but for his daughters. They deserved for him to be a better man than he was.

"You will do it now. Or I will tell Mrs. Randolph that you will not be allowed to see your grandson." Sally was brave to push him around, but she knew some boundaries could be pushed when it came to Thomas. She was finally starting to get the idea that his affections for her didn't always have to work only in his favor. The slave pointed to the pile, staring at him fiercely before Thomas sighed and caved in.

He turned on his heel, marching right back over to his desk before flopping himself down on his chair. He gave her a overdramatic pained look as he began to spin around in his swivel chair. Sally rolled her eyes before disappearing from the doorway. Once the slave had left, Thomas sighed once more before attending to the work he had avoided.

Once every business or political related paper was shifted and sorted away, the only thing left were the letters. Near to none of his slaves knew how to read so they always gave him every letter that the household received. The only ones he bothered to look at right away were letters sent from Eppington that automatically went to Maria. John sent her a lot of letters, especially since Thomas had given him permission to pursue a courtship with her. Other letters he replied to immediately were ones that James Madison sent him. There was one sent from George Washington, but Thomas decided not to reply to a pity letter, even if he admired the man.

Now the rest of the letters he neglected were left on his desk. He sorted through a couple that didn't matter much, finding nothing of consequence. Then his eyes settled on one that was near the bottom. The address was ' _Hamilton_ ' to ' _Jefferson_ ', or at least that was the first thing he saw anyway. Thomas didn't know what came over him, but he couldn't help it. It was the same thing that had happened to him when Martha died. He took every letter that they had ever written to each other, wanting to keep his memories of her private from the public. The weeks he spent locked up in his room in despair, he had also burned every letter.

For a man who cared so much about writing, who cared so much about his writing in particular, he had been hasty to burn all correspondence between him and his wife. Thomas always felt like he had done the right thing however. It was the memories that counted and not the letters. He could still remember them word for word and that was all he needed. He didn't need to hold them in his hand to remember how much he loved her. How much she loved him. He would always remember it.

But unlike how he once burned their letters, this wasn't to protect his privacy or even his wife's. Thomas hated Alexander with every fiber of his being and just being reminded of the man sent him in such a fury that the letter was quickly tossed into the fireplace. It wasn't until the flames began to lick the sides of the envelope that he realized that the letter wasn't meant for him, and it wasn't sent from Alexander.

Thomas stuck his hands into the fireplace, ripping it out from the fire before it could consumed. His fingers burned mildly but he was fast enough to get to the letter before too much damage happened to it and it would be unreadable. He quickly patted away any lingering flame before deciding to open the letter.

Maybe this was betraying Lucy's trust. Especially since the letter was addressed to her and it was from Philip. But she had betrayed his trust every time she lied to him for over a year about Philip. Maybe this was revenge for what happened, but Thomas didn't see it that way. After all he wasn't angry with her like he should be.

He held the letter tightly in his hands, blowing away some of the black dust that came from the edges that got touched by the flames. It was still warm but the air was so chilly outside that it was almost refreshing to stick his hands into fire. Thomas held the letter close to him as he began to read the words the boy had written to his youngest daughter. He couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed it when he received the letter in the first place and just tossed it onto his desk without a second thought. Thomas couldn't believe either that he hadn't read closely and tossed it into the fireplace. The man also couldn't understand why he decided to save it either.

 _My dearest, Lucy,_

 _I apologize for not writing sooner. I know I promised you I would, and now I am. I could not wait to write to you in reality, but I fell ill after spending hours out in the cold waiting for you. I know it was a foolish thing to do but I do not regret any minute of it. Because I got to see you. I got to say goodbye no matter how brief or how painful it was. I am more than sure that you already know that I meant every word I said to you, because I did. We have been through enough that I do not doubt that you know how much I care._

 _Speaking of what we've been through, I have unfortunate news. My father was not the man I thought he was, and acted like a coward. This is the first time he has ever disappointed me that I almost can't believe it. But I am coming to terms with it. I know it would be a lot easier to go through if you were here though._

 _He told my mother a few days ago that he confessed to your father all the lengths we went through to see each other. Maybe you already know that and maybe you do not. It was night and neither of them knew I was still awake. I'm afraid to tell him that I was, because he still hasn't told me to my face. I keep waiting to see if he will tell me for himself but I'm not quite sure he ever will. I guess he's ashamed of himself. I am ashamed of him. I fear that he might have ruined my chance to ever see you again._

 _I want to see you again.  
_ _I do not know how or when.  
_ _But I cannot think, only miss.  
_ _Whenever I think of your kiss.  
_ _I can't help but see you in my mind.  
_ _Call the doctor, 'cause I must be blind.  
_ _You are not here, you are in Virginia.  
_ _Please know that your best friend is missing ya._

 _This poem looks silly on paper, but I promise when I was reading it out loud it sounded better. Maybe you could try to read it out loud. I miss how you always did that whenever I showed you one of my poems. You never just read it in your head. You'd always recite it back to me. You always said that was how I would know if it was good, if it sounded good out loud._

 _And you don't have to mention the kiss. I know what you meant by it, and I wanted to tell you this in person but you left so quickly. I guess receiving it in a letter will have to do for now until I get to see you again. Because I am going to see you again. Even if we're apart, you will always be apart of my life._

 _I love you too, Lucy._

 _Philip._

Thomas frowned when he realized that it was his worst nightmare. His worst enemy's son was in love with his daughter. Maybe it wasn't on the top of the list for worst nightmares but that's because Thomas's true worst nightmare was losing his wife and he already covered that. The man barely even knew that they had met privately before they had left and he certainly didn't know that the two children had kissed. He didn't know what to do with the letter but he knew he couldn't give it to Lucy. If he did, she would have the same relationship that Maria had with John and he would never allow this.

It was for her own good. He kept repeating that in his head as he took the letter back to the fire. He went to burn it, nearly sticking it into the flames before something caught up with him. Thomas loved his daughter. Maybe he thought this was the best thing for her, but if she ever found out she would never forgive him. But she did lie. She lied and now the son of his worst enemy loved her. The decision he made next would be a forgivable one if she did found out, because he wouldn't burn anything and erase it from ever existing. He wouldn't burn away her memories like they were nothing. He wouldn't do that to her.

He made a different decision, and carried it out. He took the letter and hid it in his office. In a place Lucy would never bother to look, and he decided that his choice would be a year for a year. She lied to him for a year so he would lie to her. Thomas would give her no letter for an entire year and once it was up, if she was still interested in Philip and whatever she saw in the boy, he would give her the letters. He believed it was only fair.

And he hoped he made the right choice. After all, he could've burned it.

* * *

"Are you writing to Lucy again?" Alexander questioned his son. Philip insisted on using the man's desk and parchment. Ever since the recently turned twelve year old confronted him about the truth about what had happened the night Alexander went to Thomas's house, and the man shamefully confessed to revealing the con they had gone through over a year behind Thomas's back. The young boy wasn't ready to forgive him for that, so Alexander said yes to anything that he asked.

Philip nodded his head a little, before crumpling up the parchment. "None of them are right." He tossed another piece of bunched up paper onto the ground. His father frowned at the mess before leaning down to collect the discarded papers on the floor of his office. "Do you mind if I burn these in the fire?" Alexander asked his son. Philip didn't look up as he concentrated on a new draft. "Go ahead." His voice was filled with disdain and it dropped Alexander's heart to hear his eldest talk to him with so much contempt.

The man leaned over to throw the papers into the fireplace, watching them as they got consumed by the flames. He then paused before he looked back over to his son. "You've tried seven times to write another letter to her. Why?" Alexander questioned him. Philip still didn't look up at him, just furrowed his brows in concentration. He grunted as he failed once again, balling up the parchment once more before throwing it onto the ground.

"Because she hated the first letter!" Philip exclaimed. He spent hours writing that first one ever since he recovered from his fever but he didn't hear back from her. His anxiety originally targeted him in a way that he felt like he wasn't good enough for her anymore now that she was moving back to Monticello, but then he settled on the thought that maybe it was the content of the letter. Or maybe it was him. Maybe the twelve year old blew the kiss out of proportion.

He should've never told her that he loved her.

She didn't love him back. That must be why she never replied. His thoughts flew off the handle but his father dragged him back to reality. "Now why do you think that?" Alexander moved closer to his son. For the first time since his father had entered his own office, Philip looked up at him. His bottom lip trembled as he told Alexander the truth. "She– she hasn't written back." Philip told him, feeling ashamed of himself. Still convinced that he had done something wrong and never once thinking that it might be due to the fact his father made a huge mistake.

Alexander put his hand gently on his son's shoulder,"Did you ever stop to think that maybe this is–" "Your fault?" Philip finished his father's sentence, still shaking from nerves and devastation. The man let out a sigh, closing his eyes for a moment as the guilt still weighed heavily on him. It only made the man think of every single mistake he had done, having a similar anxiety that his son had over things. "Mr. Jefferson could've forbidden her to write to you. That's all I'm saying." Alexander pointed out.

Philip was quick to shake his head. "No. That's not it. Maria would've done something about that. She's clever enough that she has always made things work out in Lucy's favor. If Lucy wanted to write back, she would find a way to. Because– she... she does care about me, right? She cares about me, so she would find a way." He convinced himself. Alexander frowned when he realized he was almost certain the girl didn't write back because Thomas had something to do with it.

"She does care about you, Philip. She'll love anything you write because she believes in you. Don't worry about it." He assured his son, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. He frowned sadly as Philip returned to write another draft of his letter.

He decided to leave his son alone and walked out of his office. Eliza was down the hall, holding their youngest in her arms. She gently smoothed down their John's hair, looking from the one and a half year old up at her husband. "Is Philip okay?" She couldn't help but ask, knowing that he had gotten into a fight with Alexander a few days ago. Alexander moved closer to his wife before he looked down, still ashamed of himself.

"He's not okay. Not with himself and especially not with me. I really screwed up." He admitted to her, and Eliza frowned as she shifted the weight of her child into one arm she could have a free hand. She lifted her hand to gently caress her husband's cheek. "Don't despair, you handsome fool, this son doesn't hate you." Eliza joked with a bright smile as she looked down at their youngest. Alexander let out a soft chuckle as John looked up to meet his father's eyes. He hardly spent enough time with his kids, and he just realized that.

"I'm sorry." Alexander suddenly said. Eliza raised a brow,"You already apologized for ruining Philip's friendship." She reminded the man. He shook his head, silently telling her that was not what she was apologizing for. "No, it's not only that. I've been letting you down lately. I need to try harder here to make things right not only with Philip, but with you too. Part of the reason that Jefferson quit was because he wanted to go back to a family life and I get that. The job takes away a lot from your personal life." He realized.

Eliza couldn't argue with that. "You are only here half the time. Physically and mentally." She agreed. Alexander nodded his head,"And I can make that better. Still keep my job but make it better." The man decided. It all seemed like a far fetched idea, especially considering it was something he could've done years ago and never had. "Alexander, I appreciate the sentiment but... are you only doing this because Philip is mad at you?" She was afraid to ask, but she had to. "Eliza, no–" "No... Alexander, I need to know. Because I can't have you declare that you are going to make things right and once they are, retreat back into whatever narrative you put yourself in and leave the rest of us out of." Eliza's voice was firm when she cut him off.

The man couldn't answer at first. He didn't know how. While he was convinced he was trying to do better because he wanted to, it could really be only because he had disappointed Philip.

"We both know that he's your favorite, Alexander." Eliza continued, catching him off guard. Alexander shook his head immediately,"No. _No_. I love all my children equally." He tried to convince but the woman wasn't seeming to buy it. "It's not like I blame you, Alexander. He's our first child. I get that. I love him too. But you need to realize that this family is bigger than just him and me. Would you really do the same for Angie? Or Alex? Or James? Or even John?" She asked as her eyes fell back to their youngest which she held in her arms.

"Of course, I would–" "Alexander," Eliza stopped him again,"The person you have to convince isn't me." She reminded him, before John let out a yawn. She sighed when she realized he probably wanted to take a nap, and Eliza gave her husband a final look before turning her back on him and disappearing down the hall.

* * *

Lucy handed Thomas a cup of tea as soon as he arrive downstairs. Maria and her were already entertaining their guests, which were Patsy and her husband, and their two children. For once they were the guests and not the hosts. Patsy was used to the role after looking after Monticello for years while they were away, but the young woman must admit it was sort of nice to have the roles reversed. Even if it was weird to be treated like a guest in the place you grew up in. Nothing lasted forever, after all.

While Thomas had been eager to see his grandson before he wasn't sure if he was still up for it now. After reading Philip's letter and making the hard decision to lie to his youngest daughter like she had lied to him, he wasn't sure if he was up for anything. His eyes fell to the cup of tea Lucy presented to him. It was the came from the same set Thomas had used to get his dying wife water. But that set was sort a tea cup after the one he had broke at the sight of Martha's lifeless body.

"Papa, are you alright?" Lucy couldn't help but question him. He looked as distant as she felt. The man barely processed what she said, because he couldn't look into her eyes and therefore didn't direct his attention towards her. The eleven year old frowned at him before asking him again,"Papa, are you alright–"

She cut herself off when Thomas moved past her without another word, going to greet his eldest daughter. While Patsy welcomed him with a long embrace, Lucy couldn't help but stare at the man as he went on ignoring her.


	10. Without You

**A/N: I apologize for this being so late but I really hope you guys enjoy this. Unfortunately my updates won't be that close together because I have a show coming up and auditions. Not to worry, because I would never give up on this story and I have not given up on Lulip. I just have to wait until summer to update frequently.**

 **Also the title of this chapter is one of my (many MANY) fave musical theatre songs. Kudos if you guess which musical it's from.**

* * *

 _ **Autumn 1794**_

Some people are lucky not to know what it's like for a child to lose their mother.

Lucy was never certain though if she felt lucky or not. She had lost her mother, but at an age so young that she never felt the emotional impact. She could still see it on the faces of her sisters though. Even if she couldn't understand the root of their sadness, she could see it on their faces. Their heads hung low whenever the anniversary of her mother's death rolled around. They shielded their eyes and talked to few. Neither one of them smiled, even if they liked to smile.

It was too hard for them to smile. And Lucy never could understand why.

The only thing Lucy understood was absence. She was familiar with the feeling. It was almost like waiting for someone to come around. At first, you're excited in anticipation. You get jittery and fix things that you have already fixed. But that soon turns into anxiety. You start to grow afraid when enough time has passed. Then the anger comes, and at first it's so blinding that it feels like it's going to last forever. Until it doesn't. It melts all too quickly into a state of depression; when you truly can't see a way out of the situation you're in.

Acceptance usually followed. You accept that whoever you were waiting on isn't going to show up. Ever. And you learn to keep living your life.

While she had learned to do that with her mother, Lucy was having trouble with doing that for Philip. She had made him promise to write her and had received no letters from him since that promise. She tried to come up for excuses for him, ones that she convinced herself he would tell her in person if they ever saw each other again. His letter got lost in the mail. He was caught up with his education and couldn't take a moment away from his studies. He ran out of parchment paper and out of ink too. He broke his writing hand and therefore couldn't put words on a paper. He came down with an illness and was near death.

Or he made another friend. One that wasn't miles away. One with parents that both his parents got along with. One that made him lose interest in her. He stopped thinking of her. He forgot her. She didn't even exist to him anymore.

Her mind flew to the worst places when she tried coming up with excuses, and soon she had enough of it. It had almost been a year since she last saw and heard from him. She wasn't sure if she could take the absence of Philip Hamilton anymore.

She sat down one day and decided that it was time. It was time to write him. Lucy had avoided it because she was under the impression that a lady should never send a letter of communication first, even if they had communicated with letters before. She didn't want to make a mistake after she had kissed him. There was still so many feelings she didn't understand. Lucy never had the chance to grow up with her parents and see their love for each other. While she had heard stories about it from her sisters about her father's great affection towards her mother, she had never gotten the chance to see it. Even if she had seen Patsy with Tom, or Maria with John... Lucy only knew the concept of love but had yet to understand it.

No matter how much she felt, Lucy convinced herself what she did next would be the right decision.

And so... she began.

 _Dear Philip,_

 _What can I say?_

"I miss you." She whispered to herself, her hand nearly shaking as she finished the sentence. Lucy eyed the quill, having second thoughts about the whole ordeal. "But... you hurt me. And have broken my only heart." It was worse to say those words out loud, but she couldn't bare to bring them to papers unless they were the right words.

But nothing about writing that letter felt right.

 _All I can say is that I want nothing more to do with you._

 _We had our time together, and I believe you must have realized that as well. We were foolish to believe our companionship could survive this._

"I was a fool. I was _the_ fool." Lucy hadn't prepared for her spoken words to turn into everything she wanted to say but couldn't say. But that's what happened, and she hated every second of it.

 _I hope you can respect my wishes to end any further communication with each other._

"For my heart can't bare it."

 _For I believe neither of us will have peace of mind._

"If I fool myself again."

 _If we are foolish again._

"Even though I wish–"

 _Even though I wish_

"–you could love me."

 _we could be friends._

"I don't know if it's better."

 _I know it's better that we are not._

 _And I wish you all the best._

"Because I think I love you."

 _Adieu,_

 _Lucy_

She wanted to be free of him once she finished that letter, but part of her knew she would never be free of him. Lucy wanted to walk into her father's study confidently, but instead found herself dragging her feet. She entered his study quietly, not even making her presence known until she dropped the letter on top of his desk.

"Will you send this to Philip Hamilton, please?" Lucy asked her father gently. Thomas was surprised, not expecting his youngest appearing in his study that day. He nodded his head a little,"May I read it first?" Thomas questioned, trying not to overstep any more boundaries with Lucy. Once she gave him a subtle nod, Thomas read through every line twice over before looking at her again.

It was the first time that he had realized what he had done. He had convinced his daughter that the boy she loved had broken her heart, when in reality it was he had done it. Guilt didn't consume him immediately, but as if he had caught fire it would soon eat him all up until he was nothing but a pile of ashes and regret.

"I'll s-send it right away." Thomas didn't expect the stutter that came out. Lucy paid no attention however and exited his study with a dark cloud hanging over her. The moment she was out of sight, Thomas buried his head in his hands as he looked down at the letter. How could he have done this to her? What devil possessed him to do such a thing?

* * *

"I need to talk to you. Desperately."

His words didn't fall on deaf ears, but the ears that it did fall on wished they were hard of hearing.

James Madison turned around to look at his closest friend with an annoyed expression. " _What_ , Thomas?" He questioned, raising a brow. Out of all days in the year his friend could've picked to bother him, and he picked the worst one. "Please, I need your advice on a... delicate matter." Thomas pleaded with him, and of course being the man he is James couldn't find it in him to say no.

"You are aware that it's my wedding day, are you not?" James at least tried to remind him, but Thomas barely gave a reaction when he brought it up. "So?" Thomas asked, raising both brows. James sighed, shaking his head gently. "I guess I have the time. I'm sure my beautiful bride has not finished getting ready. What is it?" He asked.

"I... I concealed certain information and it has since had negative repercussions." Thomas explained, trying to pick apart the truth as best he could to avoid looking in the wrong. "What sort of negative repercussions?" James inquired, giving his friend a look that would soon pressure him into giving everything away.

"Philip Hamilton declared his love for my daughter in a letter and I hid it from her and now that very act has broken her heart." Thomas eventually jammed it all out, reaching into his pocket for Lucy's letter. He whipped it out and shoved it into his friend's face, hoping that James would know better what to do with it than he did. James took a minute to open the letter and read its contents, before looking up at his friend in surprise.

He couldn't believe it. Thomas made mistakes at times, and at other times purposely hurt people– but he couldn't imagine his friend screwing up with his daughters _this_ much. It seemed too absurd to believe that the respect he had for Thomas could ever be altered the way it did when he understood the extent to what Thomas had done.

James carefully folded the letter back up again and handed it over back to Thomas. "I think you need to send this to the boy." He finally decided after a few minutes of agonizing silence.

Thomas couldn't help but be stunned at his friend's reaction. He thought James would push him to the right thing and confess to his daughter right away. "What? Are you suggesting that I conspire to keep the children apart?" He asked, hoping to clarify.

"You already did conspire to keep the children apart. None the less– do you truly not comprehend what I am advising you to do here? Thomas, if your daughter ever find out that you concealed that Hamilton boy's letter from her– she would never forgive you. She is but a child. Philip Hamilton is but a child. There is the greatest possibility that whatever friendship they had with each other will not last into adulthood. You had the good intention to discourage any nonsense that it could. But I am certain that despite that, Lucy is old enough that she would never forgive you. And I know you love your daughter and you do not deserve to have her hate you for the rest of your life. Send this letter to the boy, and wait to see what happens. If he does not respond– then you have your answer. You were right and do with his letter what you please. But if he does write back and intends to fight for any relationship with your daughter– then you come clean. She would be so happy to hear from him she would forgive any anger she would hold for you." James instructed.

A small smile of relief appeared on Thomas's face. He nodded his head gently, relieved that James had come up with a suitable answer for him. "As always, you are right, James." Thomas grinned over at his friend. "Are we done? May I get married now?" James chuckled a little. Thomas's smile dropped when he was reminded of the true reason he was there that day. "Right, of course." Thomas nodded his head, leading his friend out of the room.

In another room, Lucy watched as the bride's closest friends and family fawned over her beautiful dress. The bride's youngest sister approached her, the basket of petals in hand. She was only a year older than Lucy, and had every idea in mind that when her sister got remarried it would be her job to do it. She probably never expected that James would ask his bride-to-be if his friend's daughter could do it.

Lucy frowned at the cold stare she received from the bride's sister. Luckily Dolley quickly caught on to her sister's attitude, leaving her guests for a moment to go over and talk to Lucy. Dolley smiled down at the young girl with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her face. "Are you excited? Nervous, perhaps?" She asked her. Lucy shrugged her shoulders, looking at the petals in the basket. "I'm not exactly sure how I feel. If I may ask, Mrs. Madison– I mean Miss Payne– no, Mrs. Todd–" "You can call me Dolley if you'd like. I'd be happy to call you Lucy." Dolley assured her, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. Lucy calmed down a little and nodded her head.

"Now, what would you like to ask me, Lucy?" Dolley stated her question. Lucy pursed her lips before deciding that it would be better to say anything about it than to leave herself unsatisfied. "Why did you agree to trust me with the flowers? You do not even know me." Lucy pointed out. Dolley nodded her head but smirked,"I think it's more fun that I don't know you. It gives me no reason to hate you." She joked.

While the intention was to break the tension, Lucy's eyes went wide in fear that Dolley could learn to hate her. "Oh–" Dolley realized when she understood the look on the girl's face. "I didn't mean it– I wasn't trying to offend– Lucy, I apologize–" She stopped talking when the young girl began giggling uncontrollably. "What?" Dolley asked, scoffing playfully at the girl's actions.

"You... you tripped over your words. Like me." Lucy simply shrugged her shoulders. Dolley grinned when she understood the girl's thoughts. "Like you." She said to herself, before offering her hand to Lucy. "I can see why James speaks of you in such high praises. You and I are going to be great friends." Dolley decided as Lucy took her hand. "James speaks highly of me?" Lucy asked, her eyes gleaming up at Dolley.

Dolley nodded her head. "He speaks the absolute world about you. You are a daughter to him, and soon to me as well." She told her. Lucy couldn't help but smile. "Are you afraid, Dolley? To marry again? After you lost your husband?" She asked, not being able to fight the urge to feed her curiosity. "I am afraid, at times. But never when James is there to hold my hand." She told her. Lucy nodded her head, knowing in that moment that Dolley's words were taken to heart and would carry with her for the rest of her days.

* * *

"I want to thank you, once again." James shook the hand of Aaron Burr, smiling as he looked at the man. Dolley stood by his side, arms linked with him. She smiled over as well at Aaron. "You truly changed our lives when you came up with the brilliant idea to introduce us. I'm certain that we can't thank you enough and won't stop thanking you no matter how many times you tell us to." She added. Aaron smiled a little with a chuckle,"Are you just trying to avoid me scolding you two for thanking me again? James, you have thanked me five times this day. And Dolley, you have thanked me seven." He pointed out.

James turned to look at his wife," _Two_ more than I did? How did you find the time to do that today?" He questioned. Dolley rolled her eyes,"I got ready on time and took no extra time to talk to my friend." She said, giving him a look. "I told you, Thomas relies on my intelligent advice." James defended himself and his friend. Dolley looked over at Aaron with a smirk,"Luckily I didn't marry him just for his intelligent advice." She said. Aaron laughed as he watched Dolley stand in pride over her words while James just blushed a deep shade of crimson.

"That's what you get when you marry a younger woman, James." Aaron warned the man as he grinned over at him. James could barely recover by his wife's comment, but quickly let out a short cough to clear his throat. "I hoped you enjoyed the ceremony. Dolley, my love, shall we greet our other guests?" He asked. "We could... or perhaps we could retire early to our room so that we could–" "Dolley." James practically squeaked before she could finish her sentence.

The twenty-six year old woman sighed at her embarrassed husband before nodding her head. "Alright, James– _my love_ –" She said in a mocking tone, no doubt to annoy the man who was seventeen years her senior. "We'll greet our guests and leave Mr. Burr to reunite with his daughter who... no doubt looks like she could use a reunion with him." Dolley's tone changed more serious as her eyes caught the sight of the young Theodosia Burr.

It was clear that the eleven year old was not having a good time at the wedding, while others seem to be enjoying themselves quite fine. Aaron turned back to look at his daughter and frowned when he realized that Dolley was right. "Mr. and Mrs. Madison, if you'll excuse me." Aaron bowed his head politely as he bid farewell to the newlyweds.

He walked over to his daughter, taking his seat next to her. "You don't want anything to eat?" He asked her gently, reaching over and taking her hand. She shrugged her shoulders as she barely looked up at him. "Theo," Aaron urged his daughter, waiting until she turned her head to look at him to speak again. "Why are you not having a good time?" Aaron questioned.

Theo didn't want to answer at first, feeling that she may say the wrong thing. "I want to– I just... I wish she was here." She explained, looking away from her father and looking around the celebration. "I wish she was here too, Theo. Not a day goes by where I don't wish that." He told her, squeezing her hand. "I never said you didn't miss her as much as I did, Daddy." Theo said, looking back at him. They both shared a knowing look. Theo had lost a mother. Aaron had lost a wife. And while they shared much more than just that, Aaron was afraid that instead of bringing them closer together it could just tear them apart.

"Give me a minute. If I don't find something that will make you smile– we can leave right now if you want. We'll leave and forget food and forget the celebration and I'm certain that Mr. and Mrs. Madison will understand completely. But if I find something that makes you smile– you have to promise that you will stay. Not for me or Mr. and Mrs. Madison– but for you. Deal?" He knew his daughter had always liked a challenge, much like his late wife did.

She gave it some thought before nodding her head. "Deal." She agreed. Once the word left her lips, Aaron smiled down at her and ran off to find something that would make his daughter smile. He racked his brains for ideas, all the way from cake to perhaps a good joke. He even had the mind to have Dolley talk to her. But deep down he knew that wouldn't work. It wouldn't make Theo smile; it lacked substance.

Aaron had nearly lost ideas until he heard it. The music that was playing. For the entire celebration it had been reserved and dull, but suddenly the music had started to carry color in it. He went to find the source as soon as he could, amazed by the sight of a young girl around his daughter's age who was playing the violin. Someone noticed his sudden interest in the music and approached him.

"Enjoying the show? I'm just surprised that the violinist was coaxed out of his instrument by her." Thomas commented as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking over to Lucy with pride written on his face. "She's incredibly talented. More so than that paid musician." Aaron praised as he looked over. "Wait– is she yours?" He asked. Thomas smirked with glee,"My youngest." He nodded. "She plays just like me–" Thomas added quickly, leaning over to inform Aaron of such.

"Do you mind if I borrow your daughter and her playing skills for a moment?" Aaron inquired. Thomas shrugged her shoulders, seeing no problem in it. It wasn't like Aaron was a stranger to him. "Why not?" Thomas answered before gesturing to his daughter. Lucy stopped playing when she noticed her father, and walked over briskly. "Can this wait?" Lucy asked, looking around at the wedding guests who were enjoying her music. "Go with Mr. Burr for a moment. He is in need of your playing skills." He instructed. Lucy nodded her head,"Yes, Papa." She said, looking over to Aaron.

Lucy followed him all the way over to where Theo was sitting. The eleven year old had been slouching in her seat but sat up when she saw her father return. Theo furrowed her brows in confusion, wondering what the girl with the violin following her father was doing with him.

He looked back over to Lucy,"You may resume playing." He told her. Lucy smiled at him and nodding her head, lifting the violin once more and putting bow to string. Aaron approached his daughter as the lively music resumed and offered his hand to her. Theo looked up at her father with a smile on her face when she pieced together what he was doing. Often at the parties she attended with her parents, her father and her mother used to dance with her. They would dance until their feet gave out, and would always end the night exhausted... yet always happy too.

"You're smiling." Aaron pointed out to his daughter as he took her hands in his. "I am?" Theo had hardly noticed, but a huge grin had grown on her face. "Yes, and you couldn't be more beautiful, Theo." Aaron complimented his daughter as he pulled her into a twirl. Theo chuckled as Lucy picked up the pace with her song, urging the father and daughter to dance faster together.

Theo decided to stay after that, and danced with her father until both of their feet gave out. Even though she had exhausted herself, she used what energy she had left at the end of the night to approach the young violinist that had played for her and her father. Lucy sat with her family, engaging in conversation when Theo approached her. She still managed to turn away for a moment to address the younger girl who had walked up to her. "Yes?" Lucy asked, recognizing her as the girl she played for.

"Thank you. For earlier. My name is Theodosia Burr." She extended her hand towards her. Lucy smiled up at her and took her hand in a polite shake. "Lucy Elizabeth Jefferson." She introduced.

* * *

 _ **Winter 1794**_

He had been waiting for this. It had been a year. It had been a year since he had last saw her and almost as long as that since the letter he sent had gone unanswered. The moment that his father had handed his the envelope, Philip had rushed up the stairs to the privacy of his room. He wanted to open it by himself and read it by himself. But after he opened the envelope and read the content of Lucy's letter, he regretted it. He wished he had allowed his mother and father to be in the room with him instead of shutting the door.

If they had been in the room with him, maybe he wouldn't have rushed to conclusions.

Eliza walked in just in time to see him throw the journal into the fire. "Philip, what in the world are you doing?!" She shrieked as she rushed to save the boy's cherished journal. Her hands were scolded as she snatched the book from the flames. Eliza winced as she stared at her unmoving son, who barely noticed that she had hurt herself in the process of retrieving his journal. "Philip! PHILIP! PHILIP, YOU'RE SCARING ME!" Eliza yelled at him, hoping for a reaction from him but receiving none.

She just watched as the young boy picked up a piece of paper and handed it to her. Eliza tucked his warm journal underneath her arm for the moment it took to read Lucy's letter. She grew more and more confused as her eyes scanned the writing. "Oh... oh, Philip, I– I don't know what to say–" She began.

"She doesn't love me." Philip spoke, not even looking up at his mother. All he could do was stare at the fireplace and the flames that almost ate up his journal. "I was wrong to assume that she did." He said, feeling like a fool for believing it with his whole heart. Eliza felt at a lost for words. She didn't know what to say to him. She wanted to say anything but no words came to her lips.

Alexander entered the room, looking between his wife and his son. "Did something happen?" He asked, looking at the letter in Eliza's hands. "Oh, the letter from Lucy. Does she apologize for waiting this long to reply to your letter?" Alexander said it jokingly, but his tone fell dead at the tension in the room. Eliza just pursed her lips and handed the letter over to him. He took some time to read the letter, but the moment he reached the end he understood the look on his son's face.

"Philip, I'm sure this is just her father's doing–"

"No." Philip cut him off, looking up at his father. "This is your doing. I hear you two talking behind my back. I know what you did." Philip confessed. Alexander felt somehow small compared to his son in that moment, even though he was much older and wiser. He wasn't sure if it was because he felt his son was growing up, or because of the guilt. "I know you confessed to Mr. Jefferson about how Lucy and I maintained a forbidden friendship behind his back. And perhaps your actions have ruined everything between her and I but even if they didn't–" Philip stopped himself when he felt the anger reach its breaking point. He knew if he didn't try to restrain himself he might say something that he would later regret.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Philip asked gently, her voice cracking. Alexander could barely meet his son's eyes, knowing there were tears waiting to fall. "Were you?" He asked again, his anger coming back in his tone. "Alexander–" Eliza began but her husband just shook his head. "I wasn't." Alexander admitted, as much as he hated to. "I wasn't going to have you look at me the way you do now."

Philip met his father's eyes, letting out a shaky breath. His anger and sadness had mixed into each other so much that he wasn't aware of which one he felt more right now. "You better pray I never look at you this way ever again." He declared, standing up and taking the letter back from his father.

He looked over at the flames before looking down at the letter in his hands. "I'll keep the stupid journal... but if Lucy doesn't want me in her life, by her father's orders or not, then she will not have me in it." He decided, and tossed the letter into the fire.

Eliza watched in agony as she watched her son turn back to her, collect the journal from her without a word and exit the room leaving a chill in the air. She looked over at her husband, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to handle it if she was mad at him too... but she couldn't help it. "How could you?" She asked him. Alexander refused to meet her eyes. "It's what I thought was best, Eliza." He tried to defend himself, but when he decided to look up at her he realized there was no point in trying. He was clearly in the wrong.

"He's a child, Alex. He's your son. How could you ruin this for him and act the way you are? Like it means nothing to you–" "My son's well being does not mean nothing to you and if you are suggesting that's the way I feel, I won't forgive you." He argued. Eliza raised a brow in shock," _You_ won't forgive _me_?" Eliza questioned. Alexander frowned when he realized how it sounded. He didn't want to turn this back on her, especially when she did nothing wrong. "Eliza, I didn't mean to–" "No... you did. You did mean to. And honestly I am afraid one day you will hurt me in a way I cannot forgive you for." She told him honestly.

Alexander felt awful. He hadn't expected her to be so candid with him. It filled him with a certain amount of guilt that he couldn't get away from. "Eliza, I _love_ you. I– I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I'll be better– I promise you–" "Will you?" Eliza questioned, more to herself than to him. "Will you be better?" She asked, looking over to meet his eyes. Alexander nodded his head immediately,"Yes, I will." He insisted, taking her hands into his. "I'm also too stubborn to lose your affection for me over this." He smirked, making Eliza fight back a chuckle at his comment. She sighed and pressed her lips to his.

When she pulled away, she rested her forehead on his. "Go apologize to your son, you infuriating man." She whispered to him, smiling small at him. Alexander nodded his head as he stared into her eyes. "Would that be enough?" He asked her softly. Eliza nodded her head as she reached her hand up to touch his chin lightly.

"Yes, Alexander, that would be enough."

* * *

 _ **Summer 1795**_

"Miss Jefferson! Miss Burr! Need a remind you that ladies of your class do not run wildly into the house dragging mud on their shoes!" Sally scolded the two young girls as she stopped them by the entrance before they could carry in anymore mud from the outside. It had been a terribly hot summer in Monticello, which had just been relieved by a downpour of rain the night before. It was bad enough that Sally had indulged the girls to go out and get their clothes soaking wet in the middle of night. Now Sally had allowed them outside once again that day to go off and play.

Lucy and Theo shared a giggle as they settled down and began removing their muddy shoes. The hems of their dresses were already stained by the dirty substance, but neither of them seemed to mind. "Are you two supposed to be focusing on your studies? Your father didn't send you to Monticello for the summer just so Miss Jefferson could lead you astray." Sally pointed out.

The thirteen year old let out a dramatic gasp, but her eyes gleamed in happiness showing Sally that she truly took no offense. "I'll have you know that Theo and I were reading the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire together." Lucy defended herself, lifting up the book to show the proof. "Well, she was reading it. I've read it several times over the last couple of years. I was working on my Latin and Greek studies. Then this afternoon I will work on arithmetic, and then perhaps practice Mozart's piano sonata no. 16 when I am later unoccupied this evening?" Theo said, holding her books to her chest with a smirk.

" _Frimer_."

" _Jaloux?_ "

Sally couldn't help but look a little lost when she stared at them. She was about a decade older than each of these girls, but she didn't even know how to properly read or write. The slave could tell that they were speaking French though. It sounded familiar to the way people spoke back when she was living in France. At least she knew that much, otherwise Sally would be feeling like an imbecile compared to them.

Once the girls had finished talking, Sally reached down to pick up their muddy shoes. "Sally, someone else can get it. Remember Papa doesn't want you working too hard considering..." Lucy trailed off as her eyes shifted to the growing belly Sally couldn't hide at this point. Sally was taught never to argue with Lucy, so she set down the shoes and stood up straight once more. She nodded her head,"Right. Mr. Jefferson gave strict orders." Sally confirmed.

Theo was the only one in the conversation without context. Lucy was young, but she still knew of her father's complicated relationship with the slave. She also knew that the child that Sally would give birth to would be her younger brother or sister. Lucy was also reminded of the baby Sally had lost before when they had come back from France. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but Sally was constantly reminded every time she looked at Thomas... and at Lucy. Sally desperately wanted to have a child who would grow up and be like Lucy.

"Who's the father–" Theo's question didn't a chance to get answered as Lucy grabbed her friend by the elbow and dragged her off before Sally had the chance to give out a clumsy lie. Questions like those better went unanswered.

Lucy and Theo rushed up the stairs to the bedroom that belonged to the older girl. They giggled as they quietly closed the door so they could be by themselves, because as studious as both girls were they had no intention of actually studying. They were still children and still preferred playing to education. Lucy seated herself down on her bed as Theo made her way over to the chair by Lucy's writing desk. Lucy set down the book in her hands, turning back at her friend to realize Theo was giving her a weird look.

"What?" Lucy questioned. Theo shook her head,"It's nothing." The younger girl dismissed. Lucy rolled her eyes,"You can say what you wish about Sally, Theo, it's not like I will tell her–" "No, it's nothing about Miss Hemings. I was just thinking of something, but I'm sure if I should mention it." Theo commented as she shrugged her shoulders. Lucy furrowed her brows, resting her chin in her palms.

"What do you mean?" She inquired. Theo shook her head,"It's silly." She dismissed. Lucy shook her head,"No, it's most likely not. Speak your mind. We're friends, aren't we?" Lucy told her, trying to make the other girl comfortable with confessing what had been on her mind. "Are we?" Theo suddenly asked as she looked over,"I know our fathers are eager to encourage us to be but... you were talking to your sister yesterday. I didn't mean to overhear but– who's Philip? Is he your friend?" Theo felt embarrassed to ask, mostly because she knew it had been a private conversation between Lucy and Maria.

She was surprised to hear that Theo had eavesdropped on her conversation, and grew ashamed that she had talked about Theo in that way. "Philip _was_ my friend. And I was wrong to compare you to him. I was just worried that after this summer together, when you go back home and our studies both increase... that we might lose touch. But Maria convinced me it was wrong to think you would do that to me." She explained. "You lost touch with this Philip?" Theo said, receiving a short nod from her.

"Lucy... did you like this Philip? I mean, as in–" "Yes. But if you don't mind, I rather not talk about it." Lucy confessed as she lowered her gaze at Theo. "I'm sorry... I... I'm just not comfortable with talking to you about this." She felt bad about it, but at least Lucy was being honest with her. Theo nodded her head,"Of course. It's fine. I'll never mention this Philip ever again." Theo said, plastering a smile on her face in order to cheer up her friend.

Lucy smiled small and chuckled. "Thank you. I think it's about time I should stop thinking about him. You're my friend now. You and I play violin and piano together beautiful. The sun rises and sets each day and night. The birds sings and time moves on. And so will I. Without him." Lucy declared, making her friend grin. For a moment, it seemed like getting over Philip Hamilton would be a good thing for her.


	11. Strong Enough

**_Winter 1795_**

Some people are lucky not to know what it's like for a mother to lose their child.

Patsy often worried that it would be harder than mother's death, and she was right. Losing her daughter hurt more than she could have ever imagined it to... but luckily for her, it would be the first and last one of her children to die in childhood.

The carriage stopped outside Monticello, but Patsy didn't move at first. She knew it was what she wanted. She knew she wanted some space from her home and from her children. It was too hard for her to look at her healthy young daughter and son, knowing that she just lost her youngest. She looked over to her husband, and she could see how disappointed he was. Tom didn't like this idea. He was so convinced that if he just kept her close and loved her, things would be alright.

But they weren't.

"You can always come home whenever you want to. I'm sure your father will arrange a carriage. So if you ever want to come back home–" "Tom." Patsy stopped him before he could finish. She could tell how fragile he was. Maybe even more than she was. Patsy didn't want to give him the idea that this would be the end for them, because her sadness didn't lessen her love for him. "I know you don't want me to leave. But I have to go. I need time. I– my mother lost many children and I wish she was here to tell me everything will be okay but she isn't. As much as my father has let me down... he's one person who I know will understand me right now." She frowned as she stared at him. Tom's expression hardened,"I know that's what you believe but... I lost Ellen too." He pursed his lips together.

Patsy's eyes became watery,"Tom, I need my family right now. I hope you can understand that–" "I am your family. I vowed to be. And our children, Ann and Thomas, they're your family too." Tom pointed out, not meaning to get angry but it showed within his voice. He felt as if she was abandoning them, which scared the hell out of him. Patsy let a tear slip down her cheek,"Right now they're better off without me." She decided.

An awful silence fell between them, one that neither of them knew how to fill. She decided to exit the carriage before either one of them said something they would regret. Patsy hated fighting with her husband, but they both handled their grief in different ways. She was young enough that she thought running back home was the best way to deal with it. One of her father's slaves helped her unload her bags, carrying them up to the house.

Tom exited the carriage as he saw her walking up to the house. "Martha." He called after her, and Patsy stopped and turned around to look at him. They were both upset and they could see this in each other. Tom put his hands on his waist, almost defeated. Tears welled up in her eyes once more as she ran back to him. Tom met her with a tight embrace and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He gently pressed his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She whispered in a rush, leaning up to press soft kisses to his face. Tom shut his eyes slowly, welcoming his wife's touch for what seemed like the first time in weeks.

He pulled away, cupping her face and wiping some of her tears that had fallen. "Do not apologize to me, Martha. I am not angry at you. I am angry at myself. I wanted more than anything to be the one who could make you smile again but... I'm not. And as much as that hurts me, I can learn to accept it." Tom said, being completely honest with her. He hadn't lied to her once in their marriage so far and she appreciated that enormously. It made her father's words of warning seem like a lie in comparison.

"I love you. I know I'm leaving and you might feel like I do not... I do. I still do. And always will." She assured him. Tom nodded his head, leaning in and giving her a short kiss. Patsy smiled sadly before moving away from him, looking to the house to see someone was waiting for her at the door.

Maria stood tall with a small smile of sympathy on her face. She knew what her older sister was going through, and was glad to see it hadn't broken her and her husband apart. Patsy couldn't help but let out a relieved chuckle, which was the first time she had laughed since she had lost her daughter. Tom let go of her, giving her a short nod. "Like I said... no matter how much I love you, I'm not the one who could make you smile again." He said quietly, more to himself than to her. Patsy gave him a soft kiss on the cheek,"I promise you that I will be home soon." She told him. The couple shared a nod before Patsy headed off in the direction of her sister.

Once the two sisters met, they pulled each other into a tight embrace, one fitting for two people who haven't seen each other in decades. In reality, the time they spent apart was closer to months than years. Patsy pulled away from her younger sister,"How are you?" She asked. It was a simple question, almost too simple considering the circumstances. But Maria could tell Patsy wasn't ready to open up to her yet. "Things are good here." Maria told her.

"Is it true that you and John–" Patsy linked arms with her sister, entering the house. "Has Lucy been telling you _everything_?" Maria whined, a little embarrassed. Patsy couldn't help but laugh as they moved inside of the house. "Lucy has written to me several times about it. Is it true that she's your chaperone?" Patsy questioned.

She nodded her head in confirmation,"It's absolutely awful! John enjoys telling me how beautiful I look, but every time he does Lucy has to insist he's just courting me for my looks. While I don't believe a word that she says– once the idea got into my head... well..." Maria stopped to gesture to herself. It was something Patsy hadn't notice before, but now that she did her jaw dropped in awe. Maria was often obsessed with her appearance, from her hair all the way to her dresses and shoes. But never in her entire life had Patsy ever seen her sister look so... _modest_.

"My God, you don't look like yourself." Patsy commented, as she stared at Maria with wide eyes. "I know!" Maria exclaimed, frowning as she wrapped her arms around her torso. "But the worst part is... I feel like myself. I even started believing that I rather be known for my character and mind rather than my beauty." Maria admitted. Patsy was completely surprised by this. Even if Maria had started dressing modestly, it could not hide the fact that she was still the most beautiful out of the three Jefferson sisters.

"I hope that John loves you for your character and mind then." Patsy told her. Maria smiled brightly with a soft blush on her cheeks,"He does... and I love him. I cannot wait until we marry. I'm at the age you were when you married and... he has not proposed yet. Oh my– what if he doesn't propose? What if he finds someone better–" She started to panic, and Patsy had to fight off rolling her eyes at how quickly Maria's mind went to the worst. She put her hands on her sister's shoulders,"Breathe." Patsy reminded her.

Maria paused and let herself calm down. "You mustn't worry so much. You'll be together in the end." Patsy assured her. The two were interrupted as Lucy came down the stairs. She held an open letter in her hand that she was reading. Lucy barely looked up, hardly noticing the presence of her eldest sister until she reached the bottom of the stairs. "Hello, Maria." Lucy greeted, looking up from her letter before looking back down. She then froze and looked up once again, finally noticing Patsy.

"Patsy!" Lucy squealed, dropping the letter and rushing to give her sister a hug. Patsy laughed lightly as the thirteen year old girl squeezed her tightly. "Please, Lucy, I wouldn't want to keep you from Philip." Patsy said, pulling away from Lucy and collecting the letter she had dropped on the floor. Patsy was surprised to see that the letter was not from Philip, though Lucy hadn't written about him in a long time. Patsy thought the least of it until she saw the look on Lucy's face.

Lucy took off down the hall without another word, ripping the letter from Patsy's hands in the process. Patsy looked to Maria for context, and the girl just lowered her head. "We haven't mentioned Philip in a long time around here. Lucy waited for him to write but... he never did. So she wrote to him, ending the friendship. But she's made a new friend. Her name is Theodosia... maybe Lucy's mentioned her to you?" Maria asked.

"Yes... but– Philip really didn't write to her? That doesn't make any sense. It's just something I could imagine the boy doing, I mean... he really cares about Lucy." Patsy said. Maria frowned and nodded her head,"It didn't make any sense to me either. But... people don't always come through, I guess. Maybe he didn't care about her enough." Maria shrugged her shoulders and decided to follow after Lucy knowing she was probably upset. Patsy watched as her sister left, still believing that things weren't adding up.

* * *

She wanted not to think the worst of him. Patsy wanted to believe in her father because she knew that he was a good man at heart. No matter the times he disappointed her, and made her believe that she could never forgive him, she always did in the end.

She even hoped that if her suspicions were right, she would be able to forgive him for this too.

Patsy chose to enter his office during a time she knew he wouldn't be in it. That wasn't very often considering Thomas was an intelligent man who worked as often as he would read or write. However, she was lucky enough to sneak in when he wasn't around. She had spent enough time in her father's office to know where most things are, but now she had to get inside his head to learn where he would hide things.

"If I was an unreasonable man hiding a young boy's love letters... where would I hide them?" She asked herself out loud, looking around the room. She searched high and low, in every corner where things would be good to hide. Patsy looked through every drawer and every piece of parchment that man had in his office. She was practically ready to tear the entire room apart when she stumbled onto the letter by accident.

It was clear to her that this wasn't its original hiding place. The letter appeared as if Thomas taken it out to read it and shoved it the nearest place he could at the sound of someone coming into his office. She remembered that earlier today Lucy had gone to talk to him in his office and Patsy frowned.

"Please don't let this be what I think this is." She whispered to herself as she read the contents of the letter.

Her hand moved to cover her mouth as she read the letter. Philip was so sweet. He must've been crushed when Lucy sent him that letter ending the relationship between them. She had no idea that he had written to her telling her that he loved her. This was something Lucy deserved to see, but the fact that it was hidden in her father's office painted a clear picture in Patsy's head.

She had to show this to Lucy. It wouldn't be right if she didn't. Patsy turned to leave the office, letter in hand, but froze in place at the sight of her father in the doorway. Thomas looked at his eldest daughter with a guilty look in his eyes. He immediately knew what she had found and he cursed himself mentally for not destroying that letter sooner. But the man had a heart, every time he decided he would destroy that letter, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"I know what you're thinking." Thomas began, trying to contain whatever anger she had towards him now. "You can't possibly imagine how disappointed I am with you now." Patsy shook her head, holding onto the letter tightly. Thomas chuckled bitterly,"Trust me, you can't hate me more than I hate myself." He said, avoiding her gaze.

Patsy scoffed,"Oh, _really_? Because I don't believe that. I don't believe that you actually feel guilty about this because if you did, you would've given this to Lucy. You would've apologized to her already and begged on your knees for her mercy and her forgiveness. But you didn't. You kept this and even if you crawled and worshipped the very ground she walked on– Lucy would never forgive you for this." She pointed out.

Thomas nodded his head in agreement,"I know... which is why you cannot give that to her." He said simply.

"I'm sorry?" Patsy asked in disbelief, thinking that she had just hallucinated what her father had just asked of her. There was no way in the world he believed that she would lie to her youngest sister. "She'd never forgive me, Martha. You know that and you know that I cannot lose her." Thomas argued. Patsy shook her head,"Don't you dare call me Martha." She warned him, knowing that he knew better than anyone why she didn't want to be called by her real name.

He looked rather pathetic as she tore him apart. He had given her every reason to destroy him, however. Thomas didn't deserve her pity after what he did. Not only to Lucy but to her. He had said and done many things he wasn't proud of. "Patsy... _please_. She'll hate me and you know what it's like to lose a child." Thomas pointed out.

She frowned, painful tears filling her eyes against her will. Patsy couldn't believe he was using her recent lost against her to get her to side with him. "No. _No_. You don't get to use my daughter against me. My whole world fell apart when she died and... Lucy would still be alive. She might even be happy if she hated you." She argued back. Thomas stared at her,"You're right... I shouldn't have used that against you. You barely know what it's like to lose a child." He realized.

" _Excuse me_?" Patsy questioned, his words hitting her too hard.

Thomas regretted saying it, but now he was angry with her lack of sympathy for him. "You've only lost one child. Do you know how many children I have lost? I have lost three, _Martha_. I have lost three and then I lost your mother too!" Thomas didn't mean to raise his voice but he did.

"I lost her too!" Patsy screamed at him. "I lost her too! I lost her too! I lost her and Maria lost her and Lucy lost her! I am sick of you acting like you are the only one in this family that lost her. We all did and we all loved her." She said, staring him down with tears running down her face. "You are so selfish. You used me to fall back on and I was only a little girl. You are the reason that I had to grow up too quickly. It wasn't because Mother died. It was because of you." She realized.

Her eyes fell on the letter in her hands. "I am done." She declared. Patsy looked back up at him with cold eyes,"I can't do this anymore. You... you forfeit all rights to my heart. You forfeit your role as my father. I am done with you." She told him firmly.

"I– I... was just afraid that Philip Hamilton would be the worst thing that ever happened to Lucy." He tried to reason with her, but Patsy only stared at him coldly. "You were wrong about that, Father. Someone else has already taken that." Patsy said. "Who?" He asked, a little confused by what she was getting at. "You, Father... you." She said, leaving his office and leaving him crushed.

* * *

 _ **Winter 1796**_

"I want another child." She told Tom. He was a little bit surprised to hear those words from his wife. They were just getting back into their routine at home. Patsy had started spending more time with their children and seemed to be happier. But he hadn't expected so soon that she would want to have more children. He thought that she would be more afraid and cautious like he was. He didn't know if he would be able to handle if they lost another one of their children.

"Are you completely certain of this?" He asked her, placing his hands on her waist. Patsy nodded her head firmly,"I am completely certain of this. I want another child. I want us to be a family. I want a big family, Tom, and I want it with you. I want our children to love each other. I want us to love each other. And above all, I never want one of us to disappoint them. Okay? I will never again run away again from this family. I will choose this family over mine every time." She decided, meeting his eyes.

Tom looked at her, noticing something more in her eyes. "What happened in Monticello, Martha?" He wondered. She didn't talk about it much when she returned. When he had asked about it, Patsy would just change the topic every time. "I finally grew up, that's what happened." Patsy explained shortly, pulling away from his hold on her.

He caught a hold of her hand before she could return to their child. "Don't push me away." He begged her, and Patsy paused in her step to turn back and look at him. He was right. She looked down at him with a frown,"My father... he did something awful... something unforgivable. And I will not forgive him for it. But that doesn't mean anyone else has to not forgive him for it as well." She admitted quietly.

"Was it Maria... or Lucy?" He asked, putting his hands around her waist again and pulling her close to him. She frowned, holding back a few tears,"It was... uh, Lucy." Patsy admitted, a tear slipping down her cheek. Tom nodded his head slowly,"And whatever he did, you kept it from her, didn't you?" Tom guessed. Patsy nodded her head, confirming his guess. "I shouldn't have, right? I should've told her right away." Patsy whispered, and Tom shook his head. "No, no... you did the right thing. I promise you." He tried to assure her, wiping away her tears with one hand.

She shook her head gently at him,"No– you're wrong... I should've... I just– I didn't want her to feel like I do. I wanted to give her someone she could rely on. Not someone who will disappoint her and betray her." She said. Tom smiled softly,"Don't you see? She already has that. She has you." He pointed out. Patsy smiled a little through her tears but she still shook her head,"I... I can't give it to her. Not now. I– I should've though... I should've been strong enough." Patsy said.

Tom met her eyes,"Look, we are going to have another beautiful daughter. We are going to love her and she is going to live. And when you are strong enough to tell your sister the truth... you will." He reassured her. Patsy looked into his eyes and nodded her head. He was right. When she was strong enough to tell Lucy the truth, she would.

* * *

 _ **Autumn 1796**_

"Patsy, she's beautiful." Lucy beamed as she looked down at the sleeping infant in her arms. Patsy smiled at the compliment, but that didn't stop her from taking her daughter out of her youngest sister's arms. "Are you serious? A full minute hasn't even passed yet." Lucy protested. Patsy rolled her eyes as she brought her daughter to her crib, laying her down gently. "She's completely tired out by the whole lot of you. You're going to have to come back some other time." She said simply.

Lucy crossed her arms over her chest,"That's not fair. Papa had an hour all to himself and Maria nearly just as long. And you get to see her every day. How is she going to know I'm her aunt?." She defended, leaning over the crib to spy on the sleeping baby. Patsy chuckled a little at her sister's antics. "The rest of my children know you're their aunt." She pointed out.

The teenager shrugged her shoulders. "But the rest of your children have been around for years." Lucy stated, looking over at her sister before her eyes fell back on her niece. "You named her Ellen, right? After the daughter you lost?" The fourteen year old asked, peering over once again at her older sister.

Patsy pursed her lips together and was quiet for a moment. She nodded her head gently,"Yes, that's right." She replied. Lucy smiled softly as her eyes returned to the young Ellen. "That's what Mother did with me, yes? She named me after the one she lost before." Lucy remembered. Patsy showed the small hint of a smile as she recalled it once more. "Yes... and look at you. Fourteen years old. You won't be far away from having children of your own." Patsy commented.

"Does it hurt?" Lucy suddenly asked. Patsy let out a little laugh, expecting this question from her younger sister, as it was something she had already discussed with Maria. "Childbirth is quite painful but–" "No... No, I meant... I meant losing a child. Does it hurt?" Lucy questioned.

She wasn't expecting Lucy to ask a question like that. Nonetheless, Patsy nodded her head at Lucy. "It hurts more than when we lost Mother." She admitted as she stared at her youngest sister. "Lucy, there's something I have to–" "Ready?" Patsy was cut off by the entrance of her father. As much as she was done with him, she couldn't avoid him. Her sisters still lived with him and he still was in charge of them. If she wanted them to visit, he had to come with them. She couldn't just tell her sisters to come alone.

If she did, they would know, and Patsy hadn't told any of them yet because if she did... she would have to reveal the secret she kept for him.

Thomas looked at her, knowing she wasn't going to forgive him, but still showed a few signs that he hoped for it. "Patsy." Thomas nodded his head at her before offering his arm to Lucy. "The carriage has arrived." He informed his daughter. Lucy pouted,"Are you kidding? I barely had any time with Ellen and all of you are pulling me away from her." Lucy whined a little as she stood by the crib.

"You will get enough time next time, right, Patsy?" Thomas looked over at his daughter. Patsy had to fight back the death glare she wanted to give him. He was just making an excuse for another chance to visit her. Every time he did, Thomas always looked at her expectingly, as if she were to suddenly forgive him. He must've thought that just because she didn't show Lucy the letter, that some part of her actually did. But that wasn't the case.

"Right." Patsy responded, barely looking at her father. Lucy didn't seem to pick up on this, being completely oblivious to the tension between her eldest sister and her father. She gave Patsy a quick hug,"I'll see you soon then. Next time I will bring my violin. I want to play it for Ellen." Lucy said excitedly, looking to her father and taking his arm.

Patsy smiled slightly at her sister, wanting to be happy, but still knowing she was keeping her father's betrayal from her. She kept remembering Tom's words. When she was strong enough, she would tell Lucy the truth. Patsy approached her baby's crib, looking down the tiny infant. "I'll tell her, right? When the times comes?" Patsy wondered out loud to the baby, knowing well that her daughter was far too young to understand her much less respond. The baby cooed softly in her crib and Patsy nodded her head.

"I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

 _ **Spring 1797**_

It was long overdue. Patsy thought she would be ready sooner to tell Lucy, but she wasn't. Despite the fact that her young daughter was doing quite well, and that it gave her enough hope to build up her strength, Patsy still waited until Lucy's fifteenth birthday party to tell the girl the truth.

Normally, Patsy would do the responsible thing, and wait until Lucy was alone to tell her the truth. She wouldn't do it in front of everyone, and she wouldn't do it in front of her father. But Patsy had kept this secret too long that she couldn't face approach Lucy alone. Lucy had a horrible temper and was known to be a little violent when angry. As much as she was terrified to admit the truth, Lucy scared Patsy a little more than the truth did and she was convinced having witnesses around couldn't hurt.

Besides, she actually wanted her father to be there. If he was, maybe Lucy wouldn't be so mad that Patsy kept the truth from her for so long.

"This book is absolutely amazing, Theo. Thank you so much." Lucy beamed, pulling the younger girl into a hug. Theo grinned as she embraced her best friend and then finally pulled away. Theo marched proudly over back to her father. "Thank you for helping me pick it out." She whispered to Aaron who smiled down at his daughter. Theo had been so nervous about what to get Lucy for her birthday, considering the girl was getting older every day and Theo was a year younger than her. She had debated about everything Lucy loved and enjoyed before finally settling on a book with her father that they were both sure she was to enjoy.

Lucy picked up the next present,"And this one if from...?" She trailed off, looking around the room to see who would claim it. The guest list for her party wasn't too long considering she just had a dinner for her birthday. It was custom around that time not to throw lavish birthday celebrations because a simple one would do. The only people her father had invited that night was Patsy and her family, James Madison and his, Aaron Burr and his, and that was all.

Her eyes fell to James,"Uncle James, _c'est vous_?" She asked him. James chuckled and shook his head at the teenager," _Non_." He replied back to her in French. Lucy sighed and then looked at her father who was smirking and sipping his glass of wine. "I think we have a winner right there." She pointed at him before moving to open her present.

Thomas looked around the party,"I'm sure this is going to be her favorite of the night." He boasted. James chuckled and rolled his eyes at his friend. Lucy unwrapped the present to reveal another book. "Another book, Thomas?" Aaron asked the man, looking over at him. Thomas rolled his eyes,"Trust me on this one, gentlemen." He said simply.

"Papa... this is... oh." Lucy was a little speechless. She knew what this book was. She knew how important it was, not only to her but to her father. "This is mother's favorite book, isn't it?" She asked him. Thomas nodded his head,"It's not her copy. You read it so much I thought it would only be best to get you a copy of your own considering I don't let you leave the house with her own copy." He pointed out. Lucy chuckled as she held the book,"That's only because she loved it so much... and I will love this copy just as much." Lucy said.

She put the book down and then went over to him to give him a hug. Patsy watched as her sister embraced her father and suddenly felt very guilty about what she had planned. Maybe she wasn't strong enough to tell her sister the truth, knowing the fact it would ruin her family. She moved to the table, collecting her present before Lucy could get to it.

The teenager however noticed and eyed the woman. "Patsy, what are you doing?" Lucy questioned her sister. "I–" Patsy's voice was caught in her throat. She didn't know what to say. "I... I can't possibly go after that one. Mine's the only present left so– so I'll just have to get a better one in order to top Father." Patsy lied, which she prayed Lucy wouldn't see through.

"Nonsense." Lucy said, reaching over,"I'll take whatever present you gave me and love it all the same." Lucy promised, her hand held out to Patsy. She hesitated, shaking her head. "Trust me, Lucy, you do not want this present." Patsy told her. "Will you just give it to her, Martha?" Thomas said, a little annoyed his eldest was making a big fuss over nothing. He was oblivious to what Patsy's true plans were, thinking that she would never do that to him, no matter how angry she was with him.

Patsy paused, realizing her father called her 'Martha' again, knowing she hated it when he did. The only person she was comfortable with saying her real name was her husband. She narrowed her eyes at him and handed her sister over the present. "I hope you love it then. It's a letter. One you've been waiting for." Patsy said simply, staring her father down.

Thomas realized what his daughter meant too late. Lucy had already opened the letter and was reading it by the time Thomas had the instinct to snatch it away from her. He reached for the letter but Lucy moved away, her eyes still on the paper. She was completely confused and distraught at the information in the letter. Lucy looked up, staring at her father with wide eyes.

"He loves me– he... he _loved_ me. And I– I... I wrote that stupid letter ending everything and you– you knew that he loved me the entire time? When I cried? When I was so upset because I thought he didn't care about me? I thought he broke my heart but it was you– it was you!" She cried out, reaching over and trying to beat Thomas with her fists. Patsy grabbed her waist and pulled her away before she could hit their father anymore.

"You always tried to keep us apart but I never thought you would go this far and be so cruel! He loved me! He loved me and you kept that from me!" Lucy screamed, and Maria had to join her sister in order to hold her back from him. Thomas stared in shock as his daughter who came at him with so much anger.

All at once it fell apart, and Lucy stopped fighting against her sisters. Lucy collapsed onto the ground, clutching the letter close to her chest. Her sisters let go of her and Theo rushed to her best friend's side. Theo pulled Lucy into a hug, trying to console the other girl. Thomas looked at James and he shook his head,"I– I should've told... I should've told her." He realized and James stared at Lucy. "I regret telling you to do otherwise." James admitted.

Dolley was surprised by her husband's words,"James?" She questioned. He turned to look at her and frowned,"The wedding... Thomas came to me and revealed he kept an important letter from Lucy. He thought of giving it to her, and I told him... not to." He explained. Dolley frowned, touching his face gently. "Oh, James, you made a mistake." She said, looking to Thomas. "But you made the worst one." She told the man.

Thomas pursed his lips together, looking down at Lucy. "I think it's time for you all to leave. I need to be alone with my family. That includes you, Martha. You need to leave." He said, looking over to Patsy. She glared at her father as her husband took her side. "For once, he might be right." Tom whispered into her ear. "Excuse me? He's clearly in the wrong–" "That's not the point, Martha. Look around." Tom pointed out.

She frowned but learned he was right as she looked around. She had destroyed the birthday party because she was angry at her father. Now she had only made things worse by creating more people to be angry at him. She kept desperately trying to make the right decisions when it came to her father. He had put her in so many awful situations where she had to lie when she didn't want to.

Patsy looked at Tom and nodded her head. He was right. She couldn't argue with that. "Let's go." She whispered quickly, leaving the mess she left behind with her husband.

"Lucy..." Thomas began after his eldest daughter left. He knelt down in front of Lucy, hoping that she would take mercy on him. "I'm sorry." He apologized. "I know what I did was wrong but... I just wanted to protect you. I know that I hurt you in the process. That was never my intention. I just thought I knew what was best for you." He admitted, his head hung long. Lucy regained her composure, moving away from Theo's embrace. She wiped her tears away and hiked up her skirt as she got back on her feet. Thomas stood up as well, meeting her eyes.

She lifted her chin up and looked at her father. "I'm never going to forgive you for this." Lucy stated firmly, staring him down. She then looked around at what was left of the dinner party, feeling embarrassed and overwhelmed. She didn't know how she was going to face any of these people after they witnessed such a private and personal thing.

Lucy collected Philip's letter, exiting the room. Theo and Maria were the ones who rushed after her. "Lucy, what are you doing?" Maria questioned her younger sister as she ran up the stairs. "Packing." Lucy explained as she made her way to the top of the stairs. "You can't be serious! You're running away?" Theo called after her. The two girls tried to keep up with Lucy, but by the time they had made it to her room, Lucy had locked her door shut.

"Lucy!" Theo called, pounding on the door. "I know you're angry and upset but you can't just run off! If you need a place to stay, I will ask my father. Just... don't shut us out." Theo said softly, looking to the side at Maria. The two waited patiently until Lucy finally opened up her bedroom door. Lucy looked at them both with sad eyes,"I... I don't know what to do. I– I can't stay here. I can't knowing what he did. I... I need to see him. I need to see Philip." Lucy rushed out.

Maria looked at Theo before looking back at her younger sister,"Then you will. You'll stay with Theo in New York and... you'll see him again." She told her. Lucy looked at the two before nodding her head. It was decided. After all these years apart, she would finally see Philip Hamilton again.


	12. Forgive and Forget

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait but it is finally here. Another update. One that might reunite our two young lovers. Hopefully, you all will enjoy.**

* * *

 _ **Summer 1797**_

Lucy wished that forgiveness was easy. She wished that she could forgive her father and go back home. She hated to admit it but her heart longed for Monticello. It longed for the promise that her father made to her. Thomas had told her that he was her home. Her sisters were her home. He told her as long as she was with them, she would always be home.

Now that she was far away from them, she felt out of place.

But every time Lucy missed home, she would remember what her father did. Thomas had promised so much and yet he still betrayed her. He made her trust and Lucy couldn't understand how he could, in turn, break her heart the way he did. She couldn't believe that he was too stubborn to understand what Philip meant to her. Did her father really have so much pride in him that he had to stand in the way of love?

She thought of her mother suddenly, wondering what Martha would've thought of all this. Lucy almost smiled at the thought of her mother accepting her friendship with Philip in the first place. She would've convinced Thomas to stand aside. Lucy would've been Philip's best friend with no problem, and just maybe, they wouldn't have been separated.

 _Separated_.

It was the first time since she had arrived in New York that Lucy realized how long it had been since she was last there. Four years had passed she had seen him and three since she had written that letter to him breaking everything between them. She couldn't help but think that it felt much longer. Decades, even. An eternity.

Although she wanted to see Philip more than anything, she wasn't emotionally ready to. Her father's betrayal and her longing for home had made her absolutely ill. She had been bedridden ever since she had arrived in New York with Aaron and Theodosia Burr. She stayed in the guest room of their house, only leaving her bed when it was necessary. Other than that, she remained under covers in the hot summer air.

The days had grown warm but Lucy found her heart had grown cold. Only fifteen years of age and she felt like she had seen enough of life. She wanted no part of it if people were only going to disappoint her like her father did. All she could do of late was feel sorry for herself. While this had been hard for her, it had especially been hard on Theo. Her friend had tried to get her out of bed, but Lucy would never stir.

Every day would start the same. Theo would try to coax Lucy out of the covers with a soft voice and a cup of tea. Lucy would bury her face in a pillow and wouldn't speak a word to Theo. When the younger girl would refuse to leave her alone, only then would Lucy use her voice to yell at her. She'd kick her out before she could say anything more.

Theo wanted more than anything to say the right thing to Lucy. But a fourteen year old girl can't heal a broken heart.

She was left helpless.

Her father tried to help but Aaron was unable to. He hated to see his daughter upset, especially after what she had gone through after losing her mother at such a young age. But whenever he tried talking to Lucy, she would kick him out faster than she kicked out Theo. It didn't help that the man couldn't help but believe that Philip Hamilton must take after his father. He wanted to help Lucy but Aaron agreed with her father. The two should be kept apart from each other.

That day should have been like that others, but this time something was different. Theo wasn't going to try in the same way she always did, she was going to do something different. She had written a letter to someone who she knew Lucy trusted. Someone that Lucy had mentioned in the past. Someone she knew who could help Lucy in her time of need.

She heard a knock on the door and went to answer immediately. Theo smoothed down the skirt of her dress, opening the door.

"Mrs. Hamilton."

Eliza Hamilton looked down at the girl who answered the door, her eyes settling on Theo. "Miss Burr?" The woman presumed but wasn't sure. Theo sounded older in her letter but in person, Eliza noticed that she appeared younger than Lucy. "Is Lucy with you?" Eliza questioned, looking behind Theo to see that the girl was alone. Theo frowned, knowing that Lucy was in no condition to receive visitors.

"She's been ill, Mrs. Hamilton." Theo tried explaining. "I'm frightened." She admitted. Eliza's brows furrowed in concern,"You should've called for a doctor then." The woman insisted. Theo shook her head,"She's not that kind of ill. Barely." She said. Eliza didn't understand at first,"What kind of sick is she?" She inquired.

"Homesick... sick in the heart... sick of living." Theo listed off any possible diagnosis considering the symptoms Lucy was portraying. Eliza pursed her lips together, her heart sinking at the thought of the girl in that kind of emotional pain. Theo had written about what she had gone through with her father but Eliza had no idea that Lucy was this upset.

Theo let the woman into her household, closing the door behind her. "She's upstairs. It's almost time to bring her tea. But she rarely drinks it. Rarely eats as well." Theo mentioned. Eliza moved towards the stairs, looking back at Theo. "I can see why you are frightened." She admitted to her. "Does she know I'm here?" She asked.

She shook her head,"I didn't know how to tell her. She insists that she'll talk to Philip when she's feeling better, but she never feels better. Maybe she needs to see him, I don't know. Could you get him here?" Theo wondered. Eliza was hesitant, knowing how badly her son's heart had been broken. "I should see her first." Eliza insisted, making her way up the stairs. She waited for Theo to lead her to the guest room.

While she was a woman of patience, Eliza couldn't help but feel anxious as Theo opened the door.

Lucy was the first thing her eyes set on the moment she walked into the room. Eliza studied the girl who stayed confined to her covers, pitying her. Her heart ached to think of being betrayed by her own father the way Thomas had betrayed Lucy. Eliza had been lucky enough to have a father who accepted the man who asked him for his blessing. She felt over the moon when Alexander told her that her father accepted him as the man she would marry. She couldn't imagine having a father who despised the person you loved.

"Lucy... Lucy, darling. It's me. Eliza." She spoke sweetly as she approached the bed, moving gingerly in an attempt not to alarm the girl. Lucy barely moved until Eliza reached her bedside. She shifted a little bit, covering her face in the sheets. "Lucy..." Eliza tried again but the girl wouldn't budge this time. The woman looked back at Theo helplessly until she heard some soft cries coming from Lucy.

Every maternal instinct Eliza was blessed with went into motion the minute she heard the girl crying. She didn't hesitate to sit on the bed and scoop up the girl into her arms whether she liked it or not. "No– no... leave me alone." Lucy wept as Eliza began comforting her. "Your friend explained to me what happened with your father– Lucy... I'm so sorry." Eliza said quietly as she smoothed down the girl's hair. Lucy cried as the woman held onto her. "He lied to me– for years... how could he do that to me? I trusted him–" She insisted, tears running down her face as she nuzzled into Eliza's embrace.

"I know you did. I know you did." Eliza whispered as she began to rock the crying girl. Theo held back tears in her eyes as she watched this. Not only did she feel for her friend, she was also reminded of the terrible loss of her mother she had experienced only a few years ago. Lucy pulled away from the embrace to look at Eliza. "It's been so long." The girl realized, looking down at the woman. "You're pregnant." Lucy said, surprised.

The woman chuckled a little,"Yes. As if five children weren't enough already." Eliza commented, earning a smile from both of the girls. Lucy's thoughts shifted instantly to Philip and the smile faded from her face. "Looks like it'll be a summer baby." Theo chimed in, hoping to lighten the mood a little when she recognized the look on Lucy's face. Eliza nodded her head at Theo,"Yes. I'm hoping for a girl. Alexander is hoping for another boy." She said, catching onto what Theo was trying to do.

However, their conversation wasn't enough to distract Lucy.

"Philip." Lucy whispered, wiping her hands over her face, trying to dry her tears now. "He hates me, doesn't he?" She wondered, looking over at Eliza. The woman frowned and looked down. "Answer me, Eliza. Does he hate me?" Lucy questioned. Eliza shook her head gently,"He doesn't hate you, Lucy." She said sadly.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the woman,"Why do you say it like that?" She asked in a hushed tone. Eliza looked at the girl with pity in her eyes,"Lucy, I assure you–" "I don't wish for you to spare my feelings. I have been told enough lies for at least three lifetimes." Lucy cut the woman off. Eliza frowned, refusing to say anything to her.

It shouldn't have made her mad, but it did.

"I can live with him hating me. If he hates me, that's fine– just give me a chance to explain myself to him–"

"He doesn't hate you, Lucy." Eliza repeated and this time, Lucy believed her. Yet she still didn't understand why the woman was using that sad tone. Lucy looked at her before cluing into what Eliza was holding back. "It's worse than him just hating me, isn't it?" She asked quietly. Eliza pursed her lips together,"It wasn't your fault–" The woman tried to tell her but Lucy just turned away.

"What could be worse than him hating me?" Lucy asked out loud. Eliza's eyes filled with tears as she broke the news to her,"Forgetting, Lucy. Philip has... forgotten you."

* * *

The worst news that you could ever be given in this world is that the one you love the most has forgotten about you.

It is much worse than receiving news that the one you love the most had died because even death in all of its finality cannot be as crushing and consumer as oblivion is. To imagine that she had become nothing, not even a mere memory, in the eyes of someone she used to love and still deeply cares about was worse than any betrayal Thomas could ever do to her.

Lucy was finally crushed.

And this time, there was nothing anyone could do.

No one, except one person, could possibly help Lucy. But how could he help her when he didn't even remember her?

Philip woke up that morning like he had woken up every morning since he had come home for the summer. School was tiring for a man of his age, especially since he had uttered the words 'lawyer' in front of his father. The instant that Alexander had the idea in his mind that Philip could grow up and become a lawyer, there seemed to be no other possible future for him. While Philip had nothing against becoming a lawyer, after all, he was intelligent enough to be one, he felt nostalgic whenever thinking of writing once again.

But he hadn't picked up the journal Lucy had given him for his birthday in ages.

Years had passed since the girl had broken his heart and Philip thought it would be best to leave Lucy in the past where she belonged. Philip had a promising future ahead of him, with plenty of enough time to fall in love with someone else. At least that's what he believed that summer morning, unaware that his mother would return home with a different plan in mind.

He had spent most of the day in his room, avoiding his father because of Alexander's strict studying schedule he wanted the boy on despite the fact the summer was supposed to be a break for him. Angie had popped in to borrow a book, but other than that he was left alone. Philip spent most of it reading for pleasure, while years ago he might have spent it writing for pleasure.

The boy flinched when his door opened, expecting his father but was happily surprised at the sight of his mother. "Do you need something?" He asked her. Eliza paid no attention, looking around the boy's room for what she needed. "Mom–" Philip began, trying to gain her attention as she paced around, looking at his bookshelves. "Are you okay? Do you need help or something?" Philip felt a chuckle come out of him because of the woman's antics. She was looking so fiercely for something Philip had no idea of.

"Maybe you should lie down, you're looking a little stressed..." He trailed off, attempting to approach the woman just as she got her hands on what she was looking for. "Ah ha!" Eliza launched the journal up into the air with a smile on her face. She was thankful after all these years, Philip hadn't managed to throw it out.

It had been missed, unfortunately. Eliza could tell by the way dust had collected onto the journal that it hadn't been used in a long time. Philip eyed her, supporting a confused look on his face. "What is that?" He questioned, reaching for the journal and taking it out of his mother's hands. The journal didn't look similar to the ones he kept for school which made it easier for Philip to conclude that it wasn't one that he used for school. He would've opened it but something at the back of his mind told him it would be better to keep it closed.

Philip looked at Eliza,"Why were you searching for this?" He asked her. Eliza furrowed her brows,"Don't you recognize it?" She questioned, concern growing within her the minute realization didn't hit her son. Philip shook his head, holding the journal out to her,"Should I?" The boy said. Eliza took the journal back before looking at the door.

This wasn't helping.

She looked back at her son before opening the journal. Inside there was a letter kept safely tucked away, a letter that had come with the journal was it was first given to him. "Dear Philip." Eliza said, deciding to open the letter and read its contents out loud. Philip didn't understand what she was doing and stared at her in ignorance.

"I haven't seen you since the seasons changed. Truth be told, I don't think I've ever missed someone as much as I have missed you." Eliza continued to read but he still wasn't getting it. She closed the letter, shaking her head. The woman couldn't do this. She couldn't make him remember after he had long forgotten.

But she couldn't go back to Lucy, not when Philip was like this.

"Lucy." She whispered. Philip didn't quite hear her at first, so the woman repeated herself. "Lucy." Eliza said, louder. Philip blinked, having not heard that name in a long time. He didn't respond to her so Eliza did the same thing. "Lucy!" She exclaimed, hoping that it would be enough. She opened the letter back up again but before she could continue reading, it was slapped out of her hand.

Eliza never expected Philip to get angry with her. He had been angry many times at Alexander, but never at her. The boy was capable of being annoyed with her, but it was the first time in her entire life that her son ever looked at her with anger in his eyes. It didn't last long, however, because as soon as Philip realized what he was doing, he stopped himself.

The boy moved away from her, looking away. "Why would you do that?" He questioned.

"Because she's here, Philip." Eliza said gently, trying to break the news to him. Philip whipped his head around to look at her,"Here? In New York?" He asked. She nodded her head,"And in this house." She confessed.

He didn't know what to feel. Suddenly, Philip recognized the journal in his mother's hands. It was the one Lucy had given him for his birthday. The letter she was reading was the letter Lucy wrote along with that journal. He wanted to scream. The boy had spent many days and months trying to forget her and all of a sudden his mother was trying to make him remember everything he wanted so much to forget.

"I won't see her. I won't. Not after what she did. Tell her to leave and never come back! She is not my friend and she never was! And she made it very perfectly clear that she never intends to be... ever!" The anger came back as Philip yelled at his mother. He couldn't believe that after everything that had happened, Lucy would suddenly turn up again in New York out of the blue.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to him.

Philip had to restrain himself from pushing his mother out of there. He did, however, move forward and rip the journal out of her hands. "You can tell Lucy that is what I think of her now–" Philip said in his anger, crumpling the letter in his fist and moving towards the window. He opened it up, tossing the journal and the letter out onto the street. While Eliza had prevented him from burning the journal once before, there was nothing she could do now to stop him from himself.

The journal hit the ground, falling open. Philip looked out the window to see what he had done and he cursed underneath his breath.

"That... snake!" He suddenly shouted. "Three years and I–" He didn't hesitate to run out of his room. He had caused so much commotion throughout the entire household that he had alerted each one of his siblings to his predicament. Angie watched as Philip rushed down the stairs with fire in his eyes. He ran out the front door, not noticing the two young girls who sat in his living room. Eliza hurried after her son,"Philip!" She called.

Lucy and Theo noticed Eliza immediately as she came down the stairs. The woman looked at Lucy helplessly,"I tried– I only made things worst–" Eliza couldn't believe her son. She had never been scared of him before but she was now. Lucy took Eliza's hand, seeing the woman was frail after dealing with Philip. The boy finally came back into the house and slammed the door shut, journal and letter in hand.

He looked up, noticing Lucy.

All of his anger washed away in an instant. Philip should've been angry with her in that moment, but now his emotions were only confused. He noticed for the first time the state he had put his mother in and he only felt guilt in that moment. He shouldn't have gone off at her like he had done but there were years worth of repressed emotions for him to deal with. When he was aware of them, he looked away from them.

"Please leave." Philip requested. Theo wasn't about to stay after seeing what she saw and took Lucy's hand in order to drag her away from Eliza. He didn't look at Lucy again until he heard the front door shut behind the two girls. He finally looked back up at his mother. "Why did you bring her here?" He asked in defeat.

Eliza frowned at her son, realizing she had hurt more than she had helped. "I'm sorry." She said simply.

* * *

There was only one thing to do next. After everything that had been done, both Eliza and Theo agreed in their letters that they would stop trying to interfere. Nothing either of them did ending up helping Philip and Lucy. They both agreed that if the two were to see each other again, it would be on their own terms.

But neither of them apparently wanted to see each other again.

Lucy, however, did manage to get enough strength to leave the house again. Theo was glad, mostly because it meant that she got her best friend back. While Lucy was still sad, she was better. She stopped crying over what her father did to her and decided that it was better for her to move forward. She started playing the violin again, despite the fact it reminded her of Thomas. She played violin because it helped her forgive.

She dragged her bow across the strings, filling the house with music. Theo smiled at the sight, knowing she often enjoyed seeing her friend play. "Are you practicing Vivaldi again?" Theo questioned with a chuckle. Lucy smiled as she turned around. If she could shake her head with a violin underneath her chin, she would've. "Not this time. I'm trying to write something." Lucy said as she played another note.

Theo grinned brightly,"Do remember how we met?" She asked. Lucy smiled at her and played another note,"I remember." She said, putting the few notes together into a soft melody. Theo studied her for a moment,"Did I ever tell you why I was sad that day?" Theo wondered. Lucy looked at her,"You did." She remembered. Theo's smile faded as she crossed her arms around herself,"It has been a long time since my mother died." She recalled, feeling sad just at the thought. "I didn't think it was possible after all of this time... but I still miss her." Theo continued.

Her friend stopped her playing. Lucy looked at her,"Why are you telling me this?" She asked. Theo met her eyes,"Because I know what it's like to miss someone." She said simply. She shrugged a little,"I don't know... you... you play like you miss someone, Lucy." Theo remarked. "And we both know who you miss." She said.

"I miss my father." Lucy said, putting the bow back on the strings. "I miss my sisters." She continued, resuming her soft melody that had gradually become sorrowful. "I miss my home. I miss my life." Lucy said as she played. Her fingers worked delicately as her melody consumed the room they were in.

It was haunting. The song she had written was filled with sadness and regret.

"I miss him." As she admitted it, the melody descended into a long drawn out low note. Lucy closed her eyes as she lowered the violin, accepting the fact that she couldn't just leave that part of her life behind. She had tried to forget Philip as well and had failed. No matter how much she tried, he was still there.

She didn't know if it meant that they were meant to be together. Lucy didn't want to think about what the universe might be telling her. She was too young to understand being in love. The only thing she knew is that out of everything she missed, Philip was the thing she missed the most.

Out of everyone she loved, he was the one she loved the most.

If only she knew he felt the same way.

"I can't go see him." Lucy decided, looking at her violin. "He won't have me. Not anymore. He's hurt too much to ever let me explain everything that had happened." She said. Theo looked at her,"It sounds to me like you're just not giving him the chance to." She pointed out. Theo didn't pretend to know Philip because she didn't. The only things she knew about him were what Lucy told her and the only things she knew about his family were what her father told her.

But Theo knew love. Her parents loved each other dearly. She knew it when she saw them. And she knew Lucy loved Philip whenever she looked at her.

It was obvious.

"I'm not telling you to do anything, Lucy. Especially if you don't want to. But I miss my mother more than anything because I can never see her again because she's dead. Philip's not dead... and if anything were to happen to him and he did die– you would never forgive yourself." Theo said, trying to say what Lucy needed to hear.

While Lucy said nothing at first, as soon as Theo left the room she realized that she had finally said the right thing.

She had tried so desperately to say the right thing and she finally did. Now it was up to Lucy to do the right thing.

* * *

Philip might not want to see her, but that didn't mean she shouldn't try. Theo was right. They were alive and it was up to them to do something before they died... because after all, that's life, isn't it? Lucy knew what to do the minute Theo had left her but had waited until night had fallen in order to try.

She knew she shouldn't have left the house so late, but she wanted to wait until the stars were out in the night sky. Lucy wanted to make Philip remember the night they had shared together all those years ago, where they laid underneath a starry sky and promised to not let anything get between them.

Lucy stood outside his house, looking up at his window. She brought her violin up, resting the instrument on her shoulder. She lifted the bow and gently dragged it across the strings. While she originally intended to play the original song she had written earlier that day, she remembered something.

He would always change the line.

To her surprise, the one who opened the window was not Philip. Angie stuck her head out, grinning at the sight of Lucy standing underneath it. "Philip! Philip! No, come towards the window! Look! Look!" His sister urged him, grabbing the boy's arm and dragging the sixteen year old boy towards his bedroom window. Angie poked her head back out but this time Philip joined her.

Angie smiled,"How romantic. She's playing your piano part!" She pointed out with a girlish chuckle. Philip didn't appreciate her commentary, however, because he disliked the fact she was romanticizing the situation. It was hard to think of romance when he was under the impression that Lucy didn't love him. Angie noticed the look on his face before looking back down at Lucy.

"You have to go to her." She insisted. Philip just rolled his eyes, moving away from the window. Angie's jaw dropped but at least Lucy was strong enough to keep playing. Angie moved away from the window, looking at her brother,"You have to." She insisted again. "Lucy loves you–" Angie tried to convince but it was hard when he refused to pay attention.

Philip shook his head,"She doesn't." He told her. "How can you say that? Look at what she's doing for you!" Angie said, gesturing to the window. He barely looked over though. "Philip, can't you see what's right in front of you?" She asked him but Philip kept ignoring her.

She looked at the window,"Mom told me why Lucy's here in New York... she told me that her father tricked her, keeping the letter you wrote to her all those years ago. He let her write that letter to you without ever telling her the truth... that you love her. The letter that she wrote to you wasn't her trying to say she didn't love you... it was her trying to tell you she was heartbroken because she was convinced you didn't love her." Angie tried.

"Now you're just making up stories." Philip was convinced but Angie shook her head. "I would never lie to you, Philip. You're my big brother." She said sincerely and finally, Philip looked over at her.

He trusted her. He knew she would never lie to him.

Philip moved back to the window but stopped himself before sticking his head out. It was the first time either of them realized that the violin playing had stopped. Philip and Angie shared a look, terrified that Lucy had left while they were talking.

The boy rushed to open his door, only to stop at the sight of Lucy there standing in front of him. Lucy smiled a little, violin in hand. Alexander looked down at his son,"I let her in." The man explained to him. Philip stared at her, unsure what to say to her after all this time.

Alexander looked at his daughter and Angie was quick to catch on. The thirteen year old bounced happily out of the room, smiling at Lucy on the way out. "Good luck." Angie mouthed to the girl and Lucy smiled weakly as she hugged her violin close to her chest. Alexander closed the bedroom door, leaving the two teenagers alone with each other.

She looked at Philip, unsure what to say to him as well. There were too many emotions that neither one of them could explain. They still did love each other but it had been too long for either one of them to say it again to each other.

"I–" Philip spoke suddenly, putting both of them on edge. It was too tense and Philip laughed a little at how much tension was in the room. He looked at her fondly and she met his eyes. "I want my best friend back." He finally confessed. Those words were the ones to heal all of those years apart.

Lucy nodded her head at him,"I want my best friend back too." She decided, lowering her violin.

The two rushed forward towards each other and Philip wrapped his arms around her. Lucy smiled in relief as she melted into his touch, allowing Philip to give her the affection she had been missing. He hugged her tightly, closing his eyes. Philip was almost afraid that if he were to let her go, she would leave again. Lucy touched his back with her free hand and she closed her eyes as well.

There was finally peace between them.

* * *

Navigating a forbidden friendship and a forbidden love wasn't exactly the easiest thing for Philip and Lucy. As much as they wanted everything to work out between them, they were too young to figure everything out by themselves. It didn't help that Lucy was getting used to living without her family. Her sisters were often her support and she still couldn't believe this was the first time she was living away from them.

But even though there was distance between them, nothing could stop the Jefferson sisters.

"Lucy!" Theo called, growing through the mail before breakfast. She sat down at the table, across from her father, handing out a letter to Lucy. She then looked at all of the other letters before handing them to her father. "Thank you, Theo." Aaron smiled at his daughter, inspecting the letters he had received. Lucy looked at the letter addressed to her and she smiled,"It's from Philip." She revealed, catching Aaron's attention.

She opened up the letter, her heart swelling at the words on the page.

 _My dearest, Lucy,_

 _I promised once that I would write you. And while you were under the impression for the longest time that I had not kept that promise, I am writing again to assure you that you will never feel that way again. Expect another letter soon. I'll wait a bit before sending the next one._

 _That one will be longer, I promise._

 _Love,_

 _Philip._

Aaron paused while looking through his letters, noticing his daughter had missed one. He noticed that there was another one addressed to Lucy as well and it was from her not-so-secret admirer. He lifted the letter up, looking at Lucy who had just finished reading Philip's short letter. "Is that one also from..." She trailed off as Aaron handed her the letter. She was quick to open it.

Theo looked at her with a grin on her face,"What does that one say?" She asked curiously. Lucy smiled brightly at the letter,"My dearest, Lucy... I couldn't wait." Lucy read out loud. She then looked at Aaron,"Do you mind if I excuse myself?" She asked. Aaron shook his head but gestured to his daughter. "That's more of a question for the lady of the house." He said. She turned her head towards her friend.

"Go." Theo laughed as Lucy fled the breakfast table with her letters in hand. She was so happy to receive letters from Philip that she had barely touched her food. Theo couldn't help but feel a little bit of jealousy though. She wasn't exactly sure of what she was jealous of. She didn't know if she was jealous of the fact that someone else was happy and in love or if she was jealous of the fact that it was Lucy.

She reminded herself that Lucy was her friend and there was nothing more between them than friendship. But was it wrong that Theo felt like she wanted more of the girl? She reminded herself that it would be wrong for her to think that way because it was a way that no one else thought that way. But maybe people did think that way and maybe Theo wasn't the only one.

But there was nothing she could do about it now that Philip and Lucy were together again.

There was no getting in the way of that.

It was true love.

And maybe there was someone out there waiting for her now and all Theo has to do is wait for that boy to come around. She couldn't help but worry though that it wasn't a boy. Maybe it was a girl. Maybe it wasn't Lucy exactly, but Theo imagined that there might be a pretty girl waiting for her out there. She knew what her father would think if she told him any of this, she was so used to telling him everything.

Theo knew she couldn't tell him about this. She couldn't even tell Lucy about this. But maybe she would... one day.

But not today.

* * *

Angie watched as her brother read another letter from Lucy. She rolled her eyes as she examined the stupid grin on his face. "Why are the two of you writing each other? You should take her out already." Angie instructed. Philip sighed as he lowered the letter,"I don't want to complicate things." He explained shortly, ignoring her by returning to the letter. She rolled her eyes once more.

While the girl was excited for her brother and Lucy, she could only be so excited when the two of them did nothing about their feelings. They were content to write love letters to each other but when it came to acting on their feelings, Philip and Lucy did nothing.

It was honestly exhausting for Angie. She loved the idea of them together so much that all she wanted to do was help to make it happen. But she found herself incapable of any real matchmaking when dealing with two people who so obviously were in love each other but did nothing about it.

"You should take her out, Philip, come on. Invite her to dinner. Like the one you had when you were kids. Or take her out on a walk. It's summer. Do something fun." She encouraged. Philip put down the letter and shook his head,"I don't know, Angie." He admitted. She gave him a look,"What are you so afraid of?" Angie questioned.

He averted his gaze, looking to the letter. "I fell in love with Lucy last time and it was brutal. I ended up getting crushed. This time... I would like to walk into love with her opposed to freefalling. It's easier." He explained.

"It's boring."

"It's mature."

Angie scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue at him, making the boy laugh. "What are you doing?" Philip asked. She shrugged her shoulders, making another weird face. "I'm being mature." She argued. He shook his head, giggling a little. "You are not being mature." He argued back as she touched her nose with her tongue. Philip chuckled again,"Stop that." He asked.

She shook her head,"Never!" Angie declared with a laugh. Philip shook his head at his little sister, their laughter dying down as they both looked at the letter. "You're really lucky, you know." Angie said, suddenly. Philip was surprised by her comment, looking over at her. "Why?" He asked. "Because it's easy for you." She shrugged.

"Her father hates the idea of the two of us together, I hardly call that easy." He pointed out. Angie looked at him with sad eyes, which only confused him. "At least the world doesn't." She mumbled. "Is something wrong, Angelica?" Philip asked, moving closer to his sister.

"Yes, there is." She confessed, making him worry. Angie then smirked,"You need to take Lucy out." She said and Philip rolled his eyes at her while Angie laughed at him. "I'm sorry– but I am serious about that one." Angie told him, still chuckling as her brother held back a smile.


End file.
